pseudo

See also: pseudo- and pseŭdo-

English

Etymology

From Middle English, derived from prefix pseudo-, itself derived from Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false, lying”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈs(j)uːdəʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsuːdoʊ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːdəʊ
• Homophone: sudo

Noun

pseudo (plural pseudos)

1. (derogatory) An intellectually pretentious person; a pseudointellectual.
2. A poseur; one who is fake.
3. (travel industry, informal) pseudo-city code
4. (Internet, clipping) A pseudonym; a false name used for online anonymity.
   • 2011, Divina Frau-Meigs, Media Matters in the Cultural Contradictions of the "Information Society", page 299:

     Issues such as verifiability (for age declared), anonymity (in spite of pseudos and avatars) and traceability are at stake […]

5. Clipping of pseudoephedrine.

Alternative forms

• pseud

References

• The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary

Adjective

pseudo (not comparable)

1. Other than what is apparent; spurious; sham.
   • 2024 August 31, Carole Cadwalladr, “Don’t rejoice yet, Elon Musk and his tech bros-in-arms are winning the global battle for the truth”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎^[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 3 February 2025:

     Last week saw perhaps the first major showdown between the pseudo cryptolibertarianism they both espouse and that old-fashioned, resolutely analogue concept known as the nation state. For anyone who has spent any time pondering the intergalactic levels of entitlement among the tech broligarchy and the – until now – total impunity they’ve faced, the arrest and subsequent charging of Durov was a singular moment.

2. Insincere.

Derived terms

• pseudo anime

Translations

spurious, sham

• Ukrainian: псевдо- (psevdo-)

insincere — see insincere

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Turkish: sahte (tr),

References

• The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary

Anagrams

• psuedo, does up, doupes, psuedo-, souped

French

Etymology

Clipping of pseudonyme.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /psø.do/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

pseudo m (plural pseudos)

1. a nickname, handle or pseudonym

Further reading

• “pseudo”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Polish

Etymology

Clipping of pseudonim.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpsɛw.dɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛwdɔ
• Syllabification: pseu‧do
• Homophone: pseudo-

Noun

pseudo n

1. (colloquial) synonym of pseudonim

Declension

Declension of pseudo

	singular	plural
nominative	pseudo	pseuda
genitive	pseuda	pseud
dative	pseudu	pseudom
accusative	pseudo	pseuda
instrumental	pseudem	pseudami
locative	pseudzie	pseudach
vocative	pseudo	pseuda

Related terms

nouns

• pseudonim
• pseudonimizacja

verbs

• pseudonimizować impf
• spseudonimizować pf

Further reading

• pseudo in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• pseudo in Polish dictionaries at PWN