charlatan

[ shahr-luh-tn ]

noun

1. a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than they possess; fraud; quack.

   Synonyms: phony, fake, fraud, mountebank, impostor

charlatan

/ ˈʃɑːlətən /

noun

1. someone who professes knowledge or expertise, esp in medicine, that he or she does not have; quack

Derived Forms

• ˌcharlatanˈistic, adjective
• ˈcharlatanˌism, noun

Other Words From

• char·la·tan·ic [shahr-l, uh, -, tan, -ik], char·la·tan·i·cal char·la·tan·ish char·la·tan·is·tic adjective
• char·la·tan·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of charlatan¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Middle French, from Italian ciarlatano, equivalent to ciarla(tore) “chatterer” (derivative of ciarlare “to chatter”; from imitative root) + (cerre)tano “hawker, quack,” literally, “native of Cerreto, ” a village in Umbria, known for its quacks

Word History and Origins

Origin of charlatan¹

C17: from French, from Italian ciarlatano, from ciarlare to chatter

Example Sentences

Metaverse knowledge abounds, and it is ripe for the taking — as long as interested companies can dodge the charlatans and collaborate with metaverse builders who truly know what they’re doing.

From Digiday

While the charlatan won’t ever stop daydreaming of magically zooming up the social ladder, the film is clear-eyed about the desolation that lies before him.

From Washington Post

However, as fans familiar with Spider-Man lore knew all too well, Mysterio was little more than a villainous charlatan who pretended to be a hero when in reality, he was creating fake chaos.

From TechCrunch

As for Ed and Lorraine Warren, they come across as charlatans who had very little impact on the eventual outcome of this incident, and who used it to enhance their own celebrity.

From The Daily Beast

But, even if that sort of pushback becomes the norm, news organizations should be wary of handing these charlatans a megaphone.

From Washington Post

Read a cautionary tale about the seductive and dangerous power of a charlatan sociopath, featuring goats and the American Dream.

From The Daily Beast

Charlatan is an unfair word,” Kennedy opined, but “he did an awful lot for effect.

From The Daily Beast

And the gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write.

From The Daily Beast

Recognizing that Messier was simply a corporate charlatan, Bronfman stepped up and led the charge to remove the megalomaniac.

From The Daily Beast

In our shock at the way things have turned out, we wonder if there is anyone left in charge who's not a charlatan or a fool.

From The Daily Beast

The Britons and the Germans seemed not to heed; but now and then the American school-marms unmasked the charlatan.

From Project Gutenberg

In spite of his true greatness he lacked simplicity, and he imported the arts of a charlatan into political life.

From Project Gutenberg

Willis was represented by the prince's party as a charlatan, and Warren was pitted against him as the doctor of the opposition.

From Project Gutenberg

It would place him before the world as a false teacher, a fraud, a charlatan.

From Project Gutenberg

Should we not brand such a man as an unscrupulous charlatan or at best as a dangerous visionary?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• con artist