English · Word Candidate

pseudo

/ˈs(j)uːdəʊ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: pseudos

Sense 1

Meaning · English

An intellectually pretentious person; a pseudointellectual.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A poseur; one who is fake.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Other than what is apparent; spurious; sham.

Adjective

Examples

Last week saw perhaps the first major showdown between the pseudo cryptolibertarianism they both espouse and that old-fashioned, resolutely analogue concept known as the nation state. For anyone who has spent any time pondering the intergalactic levels of entitlement among the tech broligarchy and t

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

Insincere.

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “pseudo” mean?

An intellectually pretentious person; a pseudointellectual.

Is “pseudo” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.