pseudologue

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English

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Etymology

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From Latin pseudologus (liar), from Ancient Greek ψευδολόγος (pseudológos, speaking falsely, lying).

Noun

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pseudologue (plural pseudologues)

  1. A pathological liar
    • 1996, Charles V Ford Lies! Lies!! Lies!!! [1]
      Unlike a delusional psychotic person, the pseudologue will abandon the story or change it if confronted with contradictory evidence or sufficient disbelief.
    • 1997, Alan J. Cunnien, “Psychiatric and Medical Syndromes Associated with Deception,” in Clinical Assessment of Malingering and Deception, Richard Rogers ed. [2]
      Unlike the common braggart, however, the pseudologue falsifies a substantial amount of information with bearing upon activities, acquaintances, or personal identity.
    • 2004, Ralph Keyes, The Post-Truth Era [3]
      Even a grandiose pseudologue, he writes, must be evaluated carefully to see if he is a compulsive liar or simply “someone for whom truth is temporarily unavailable.”

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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"pseudologue." Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. [4] (Accessed 30 Nov. 2005).