charlatan

American  

[shahr-luh-tn] / ˈʃɑr lə tn /

noun

• charlatans
  plural

1. a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than they possess; fraud; quack.

   Synonyms:

   phony, fake, fraud, mountebank, impostor

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charlatan British  

/ ˈʃɑːlətən /

noun

1. someone who professes knowledge or expertise, esp in medicine, that he or she does not have; quack

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• charlatanism
  noun
• charlatanic
  adjective
• charlatanical
  adjective
• charlatanish
  adjective
• charlatanistic
  adjective
• charlatanically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• charlatans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of charlatan

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Middle French, from Italian ciarlatano, equivalent to ciarla(tore) “chatterer” (derivative of ciarlare “to chatter”; from imitative root) + (cerre)tano “hawker, quack,” literally, “native of Cerreto, ” a village in Umbria, known for its quacks

Explanation

A charlatan is a quack, a person who is trying to deceive you with false claims. Beware of charlatans who try to sell you access to the fountain of youth or to a Ponzi scheme disguised as an exclusive investment fund. A charlatan is one who pretends to possess knowledge he or she lacks. From the 16th century Italian ciarlatano "a quack," the usage of charlatan has not shifted much. Other words for charlatan are impostor, cheat, or pretender. Charlatans are marked by the elaborate schemes they cook up. Russian playwright Anton Chekhov said, "No psychologist should pretend to understand what he does not understand...Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand nothing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

charlatan charlatans

These days, however, Mr. Sharpton is much closer to a charlatan than a kingmaker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

Jerry uses his “you-betcha” Midwestern accent to disguise his discontent, but beneath his charlatan smile lurks a rotten, greedy soul.

From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2026

Pauly plays the impulsive charlatan with an irrepressible charm.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2025

Passing sentence Judge Geoffery Baker QC described Saeed as a "charlatan", who had carried out a deception that had been "cunningly contrived, skilfully executed, and brazenly maintained over three decades".

From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2025

I want to think he’s an actor, a charlatan, a fake.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

Liberal Democrat MP Tom Morrison said the government needs "a proper regulatory framework to make sure these charlatans that are putting out bogus sleep advice on social media... are held to account."

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

The magician Ricky Jay’s compendium of actual “unique, eccentric and amazing entertainers” offers a parade of con artists, charlatans, escapologists, daredevils, mesmerists, contortionists and sideshow acts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025

Over the centuries, it has endorsed only a small percentage of the thousands that have been claimed, in an effort to protect the faithful from charlatans, doctrinal errors or attempts to profit.

From New York Times ● May 17, 2024

This is a battle for control among con artists, charlatans, social media celebrities and mobsters.

From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2023

“I’ll find a specialist...someone who knows what he’s doing...not like those charlatans in white coats that call themselves doctors.”

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

Related Words

• con artist