An urban legend is a modern genre of folklore that consists of fictional stories associated with the macabre, superstitions, ghosts, demons, cryptids, extraterrestrials, creepypasta, and other fear-generating narrative elements. These stories are often circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family member, often with horrifying, humorous, or cautionary elements. Urban legends can be entertaining but often concern mysterious peril or troubling events, such as disappearances and strange objects or entities. They may confirm moral standards, reflect prejudices, or be a way to make sense of societal anxieties.

Urban legends are often rooted in local history and popular culture. They can be spread by any media, including newspapers, mobile news apps, e-mail, and most often, social media. Some urban legends have passed through the years/decades with only minor changes, in where the time period takes place. Generic urban legends are often altered to suit regional variations, but the lesson or moral generally remains the same.

Urban legends are often framed as complete stories with plot and characters. The compelling appeal of a typical urban legend is its elements of mystery, horror, fear, or humor. Often they serve as cautionary tales. Some urban legends are morality tales that depict someone acting in a disagreeable manner, only to wind up in trouble, hurt, or dead. Urban legends are also typified by short neat plots that involve a series of odd events or unlikely coincidences followed by a twist ending.

Urban legends are different from rumors, gossip, misinformation, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories, most of which lack the urban legend’s telltale narrative structure. Despite being false, urban legends reach a wide audience because they are passed along from person to person like the latest news. No one knows for sure how urban legends get started, but they seem to appear out of nowhere.

Urban legends can be entertaining, but it is important to remember that they are not true. They are fictional stories that are often circulated as true, and they can cause unnecessary fear and panic.