Standard Lemma guide

pseudoscientist

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A practitioner of pseudoscience; a bogus or sham scientist.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory

Examples

  • Near-synonym: scientician (in its modern sense)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: scientician

Antonyms: scientist

Broader terms: nonscientist

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek ψεύδω (pseúdō) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -ής (-ḗs) Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudḗs)der. Middle English pseudo- English pseudo- English scientist English pseudoscientist From pseudo- + scientist.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 偽科學家 /伪科学家 (wěikēxuéjiā) — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • Dutch: pseudowetenschapper — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • Finnish: pseudotieteilijä — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • French: pseudo-scientifique — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • French: pseudoscientifique — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Pseudowissenschaftler — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Pseudowissenschaftlerin — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Pseudowissenschafter — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Pseudowissenschafterin — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Afterwissenschaftler — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Afterwissenschaftlerin — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Scheinwissenschaftler — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Scheinwissenschaftlerin — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Afterforscher — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Afterforscherin — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Aftergelehrter — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: Aftergelehrte — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: After-Gelehrter — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • German: After-Gelehrte — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • Russian: лжеучёный (lžeučónyj) — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • Russian: псевдоучёный (psevdoučónyj) — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • Spanish: seudocientífico — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • Ukrainian: псевдонауко́вець (psevdonaukóvecʹ) — practitioner of pseudoscience
  • Ukrainian: псевдовче́ний (psevdovčényj) — practitioner of pseudoscience