pseudointellectual

English

Alternative forms

• pseudo-intellectual
• pseudo intellectual

Etymology

pseudo- (“false, fake”) +‎ intellectual

Noun

pseudointellectual (plural pseudointellectuals)

1. Someone who pretends to be more intelligent than they are.
   • 2002 September 3, Cyber Cypher, “The sign of pseudo-intellectual”, alt.usage.english, Usenet:

     The telltale sign of a pseudo intellectual is the superficial sprinkling and misuse of terms like "paradigm shift" and name dropping

Usage notes

Usage is fraught, and pseudointellectual may be used as a general term of abuse for intellectuals one dislikes or disagrees with. Nevertheless, in more careful use a rather clear distinction is drawn: a pseudointellectual is someone dishonestly or insincerely using the language, style, or topics of an intellectual, but who lacks the goals, morals, or ability of a “genuine” intellectual. It is someone who acts pretentiously and wishes to win an argument or impress, rather than modestly trying to find the truth – a focus on surface and rhetoric over content. These often involve a superficial understanding of a subject and condescension to the audience, as well as possible self-delusion (not being consciously dishonest, but rather genuinely thinking themself to be behaving as a genuine intellectual despite their incompetence).

Synonyms

• pseud
• pseudo

See also

• See also Wikisaurus:deceiver
• charlatan
• fraud
• sophist

Adjective

pseudointellectual (comparative more pseudointellectual, superlative most pseudointellectual)

1. Pretentiously or insincerely intellectual. Nonsense.

References

• Sydney J. Harris, circa 1981 November 20 (syndicated column), published as “Distinctions Between Intellectuals And Pseudo-Intellectuals” (mirror) in the Detroit Free Press, (11/20/81) and “Telling the real from the pseudo”, Sarasota Journal, Nov 23, 1981, among others