pseud

1 of 3

noun

British
: a person who pretends to be an intellectual

pseud

2 of 3

abbreviation

pseud-

3 of 3

combining form

variants or pseudo-
1
: false : spurious
pseudoclassic
2
: temporary or substitute formation similar to (a specified thing)
pseudopodium
3
: resembling, isomeric with, or related to (a specified chemical compound)
pseudoephedrine

Examples of pseud in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Salutes to two pop music artists (X-Ray Spex and David Johansen) are preferable to Laura Poitras’s nauseating politicization of cultural pseud-activist Nan Goldin. Armond White, National Review, 6 Jan. 2023 Mr Baudet is dismissed by the establishment as a pseud-in-a-suit, but his calls for the Dutch to leave the EU resonate. The Economist, 28 Mar. 2018 Her son, Art, is a hapless nature blogger and pointless pseud. Dwight Garner, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2018

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for pseudo-intellectual

Combining form

Greek, from pseudēs, from pseudesthai to lie; akin to Armenian sut lie and probably to Greek psychein to breathe — more at psych-

First Known Use

Noun

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pseud was in 1964

Dictionary Entries Near pseud

Cite this Entry

“Pseud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pseud. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pseud-

combining form
variants or pseudo-
: not genuine : fake
Etymology

Combining form

derived from Greek pseudēs "false"

More from Merriam-Webster on pseud

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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