charlatanism

American  

[shahr-luh-tn-iz-uhm] / ˈʃɑr lə tnˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the practice or method of a charlatan.

2. an instance of this.

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Etymology

Origin of charlatanism

First recorded in 1795–1805; charlatan + -ism

Example Sentences

Hegel was a metaphysician whose insistence that Geist, or spirit, pervades the historical process and moves it to some grand culmination is difficult to distinguish from New Age mysticism, and hence charlatanism.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

It was an exceptional display of charlatanism by people who transparently did not know what they were doing.

From Slate • Feb. 1, 2024

We’re reminded that cinema — call it movie magic — is itself an advanced form of charlatanism, a sustained illusion that leaves us wondering, “How’d they do that?”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2021

"I think the idea of deriding experts, the idea of deriding people that spend their entire life researching and experimenting, is a return to charlatanism if we start doing that."

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2017

Would Sir William Ramsay or Sir James Crichton-Browne throw these manifestations into the limbo of humbug and charlatanism?

From Occultism and Common-Sense by Willson, Beckles