Potëmkin

[ poh-tem-kin, puh-; Russian puh-tyawm-kyin ]

noun

1. Prince Gri·go·ri A·le·ksan·dro·vich [prins, gri-, gawr, -ee al-ig-, zan, -dr, uh, -vich, -, zahn, -, gryi-, gaw, -ryee uh-lyi-, ksahn, -dr, uh, -vyich], 1739–91, Russian statesman and favorite of Catherine II.

Potemkin

/ pɒˈtɛmkɪn; paˈtjɔmkin /

noun

1. PotemkinGrigori Aleksandrovich17391791MRussianMILITARY: soldierPOLITICS: statesman Grigori Aleksandrovich (ɡriˈɡɔrij alɪkˈsandrəvitʃ). 1739–91, Russian soldier and statesman; lover of Catherine II, whose favourite he remained until his death, and who is reputed to have erected sham villages along the route of the Empress's 1787 tour of the Crimea
2. apparently impressive but actually sham or artificial

   North Korea's Potemkin hospital

Example Sentences

Potemkin distillers are going to have all the juice they need for years to come.

From The Daily Beast

It's as Potemkin Village-ish a piece of journalistic writing as I've seen in a long time.

From The Daily Beast

No one outside Limbaughland or Trumpville, Potemkin villages where no one will vote for Obama anyway, credited the humbug.

From The Daily Beast

The lobbyist-journalist-politician scandal has dynamited the Potemkin village that is Indian journalism.

From The Daily Beast

It was a Potemkin Village of technology, camera-ready but a long way short of leaving the ground.

From The Daily Beast

Catherine's favourite, Potemkin, full of valorous confidence, is encouraging his Empress: 'A million roubles she'll win!

From Project Gutenberg

Potemkin, your invincible feeder, will back you to the last.'

From Project Gutenberg

Potemkin, who was then at the head of the Russian army, dreaded Catharine's displeasure should she be disappointed the third time.

From Project Gutenberg

At that moment a courier rode up at full speed with dispatches from Potemkin.

From Project Gutenberg

Potemkin, under whose orders Jones stood, was of a thoroughly despotic type.

From Project Gutenberg