masquerade

C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˌmæskəˈreɪd/ UK /ˌmaskəˈreɪd/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a costumed ball with masks; or a false outward show

His charity was a masquerade concealing a calculating ambition.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a costumed ball with masks;... pretense disguise charade facade pose sham

Word family

Derived forms masqueradermasquerading

Related forms maskmasque

Simplified etymology

Masquerade, recorded from the late 16th century, is related through Italian maschera to mask and mascara. This word family ultimately goes back to an Arabic word meaning “buffoon.”

Etymology

From Middle French mascarade and Italian mascherata ('masked ball'), from maschera ('mask'), of uncertain origin, possibly from Arabic maskhara ('buffoon'). A masked ball, hence a deceptive outward show.

mascarade Middle French maschera Italian

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# masquerade

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌmæskəˈreɪd/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌmaskəˈreɪd/

## Meanings
1. a costumed ball with masks; or a false outward show

## Examples
- His charity was a masquerade concealing a calculating ambition.

## Synonyms
- pretense
- disguise
- charade
- facade
- pose
- sham

## Derived Forms
- masquerader
- masquerading

## Related Forms
- mask
- masque

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: mascarade
- Root: maschera

## Etymology
From Middle French mascarade and Italian mascherata ('masked ball'), from maschera ('mask'), of uncertain origin, possibly from Arabic maskhara ('buffoon'). A masked ball, hence a deceptive outward show.

## AI Etymology
Masquerade comes from Middle French mascarade and Italian mascherata ('masked ball'), from maschera ('mask'), of uncertain origin, possibly from Arabic maskhara ('buffoon'). A masked ball, hence a deceptive outward show. The etymological trail includes Middle French mascarade, Italian maschera. The same word family includes masquerader, masquerading, mask, masque. Its current noun use means "a costumed ball with masks; or a false outward show".

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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