A rumor (American English), or rumour (British English; see spelling differences; derived from Latin rumorem 'noise'), is "a tall tale of explanations of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern."[1]
In the social sciences, a rumor involves a form of a statement whose veracity is not quickly or ever confirmed. In addition, some scholars have identified rumor as a subset of propaganda. Sociology, psychology, and communication studies have widely varying definitions of rumor.[2]
Rumors are also often discussed with regard to misinformation and disinformation (the former often seen as simply false and the latter seen as deliberately false, though usually from a government source given to the media or a foreign government).[3]