Potemkin village
play
noun
Po·tem·kin village
\pə-ˈtem(p)-kən-\
Definition of Potemkin village
: an impressive facade or show designed to hide an undesirable fact or condition
Origin of potemkin village
Grigori Potëmkin, who supposedly built impressive fake villages along a route Catherine the Great was to travel
First Known Use: 1937
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