impostor syndrome

noun

variants or imposter syndrome
: a psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one's abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one's ongoing success
Plucked from semi-obscurity to replace Ann Landers, who died in 2002, Amy Dickinson suffered bouts of imposter syndrome: Who was she to give advice to the millions who read Landers' syndicated column?Kim Hubbard
Former US first lady Michelle Obama on Thursday urged girls to resist the "impostor syndrome" she had felt on the way up and fight men for power, saying plenty of them didn't deserve it.Lih Yi Beh

Examples of impostor syndrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web New opportunities can open the door to fresh versions of impostor syndrome, and being a fast learner doesn’t magically change you into someone who doesn’t prefer to feel prepared. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2024 With that came a lot of impostor syndrome and a massive confidence crisis. Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2024 Shaking off the impostor syndrome Having never fully understood the day-to-day grind in PE, studying the sector also allowed me to de-mystify what a job on a deal team entails. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 June 2024 There’s plenty of evidence that the Miami Dolphins fan base might have impostor syndrome. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for impostor syndrome 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impostor syndrome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impostor syndrome was in 1982

Dictionary Entries Near impostor syndrome

Cite this Entry

“Impostor syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impostor%20syndrome. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!