ultracrepidarian

American  

[uhl-truh-krep-i-dair-ee-uhn] / ˌʌl trəˌkrɛp ɪˈdɛər i ən /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a person who criticizes, judges, or gives advice outside their area of expertise.

   The play provides a classic, simplistic portrayal of an ultracrepidarian boss.

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noun

1. a person who criticizes, judges, or gives advice outside their area of expertise.

Usage

What does ultracrepidarian mean? An ultracrepidarian is a person who offers opinions beyond their own knowledge. It can also be used as an adjective describing such a person. This word is used in situations when someone is speaking as an authority on a subject that they have only limited knowledge of. The term is quite obscure, so most people who use it as an insult probably intend it to be at least a little humorous. Example: Lisa wrote her thesis on Hamlet, but Jason has only seen the movie, so he came off as an ultracrepidarian when he explained the plot to her.

Other Word Forms

• ultracrepidarianism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ultracrepidarian

First recorded in 1800–20; from Latin ultrā crepidam (also suprā crepidam ) “above the sole, beyond the sole,” from adverb and preposition ultrā ( see origin at ultra-) + Latin crepidam (accusative singular of crepida ) “sole of a shoe, shoe, sandal” (re-formed from Greek krēpîd-, stem of krēpís “man's high boot, half boot, shoe”) + -arian ( def. ); in allusion to Pliny the Elder's adaptation of the retort that the Greek painter Apelles (360?–315? b.c.) made to a cobbler who was critiquing Apelles' work, nē suprā crepidam sūtor jūdicāre “let the cobbler not judge above the sandal”; cf. the English proverb “let the cobbler stick to his last”

Example Sentences

And in response, I toss the phrase ultracrepidarian at them because they don't know what they're talking about.

From Salon • Dec. 1, 2023