charlatan

C2 Topic:Describing People

US /ˈʃɑːrlətən/ UK /ˈʃɑːlətən/ See IPA manual

Freq #22359

Meanings

1

noun
a person who falsely claims to have special knowledge or skill, usually in order to deceive others

The supposed investment expert was exposed as a charlatan with no financial training.
2

noun
historically, an itinerant seller of supposed medicines or remedies

The charlatan drew a crowd by promising that his tonic could cure every illness.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who falsely claims... fraud impostor quack mountebank

2 noun · historically, an itinerant... quack mountebank

More swindler

Opposites

expert professional

Word family

Forms charlatanism

Derived forms charlatanismcharlatanrycharlatanic

Related forms quackery deception imposture

Etymology

From French charlatan, from Italian ciarlatano ("quack"), associated with ciarlare ("to chatter, babble"); it has also been explained as influenced by cerretano, a hawker or supposed healer from Cerreto. The early English sense was a travelling seller of sham remedies, later broadened to anyone who falsely claims expertise.

Topics

Describing People

External links

# charlatan

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈʃɑːrlətən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈʃɑːlətən/
**Frequency rank:** 22359

## Meanings
1. a person who falsely claims to have special knowledge or skill, usually in order to deceive others
2. historically, an itinerant seller of supposed medicines or remedies

## Examples
- The supposed investment expert was exposed as a charlatan with no financial training.
- The charlatan drew a crowd by promising that his tonic could cure every illness.

## Synonyms
- fraud
- impostor
- quack
- mountebank
- swindler

## Antonyms
- expert
- professional

## Derived Forms
- charlatanism
- charlatanry
- charlatanic

## Related Forms
- quackery
- deception
- imposture

## Etymology
From French charlatan, from Italian ciarlatano ("quack"), associated with ciarlare ("to chatter, babble"); it has also been explained as influenced by cerretano, a hawker or supposed healer from Cerreto. The early English sense was a travelling seller of sham remedies, later broadened to anyone who falsely claims expertise.

## Topics
- Describing People

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