pseudologue

English

Etymology

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

Noun

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

• pseudologist
• pseudology

Translations

pathological liar

• French: pseudologue (fr)
• German: Pseudologe (de) m

Further reading

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