masquerade

[mas-kuh-reyd]

noun

1. a party, dance, or other festive gathering of persons wearing masks and other disguises, and often elegant, historical, or fantastic costumes.

   Synonyms: mummery

2. a costume or disguise worn at such a gathering.

3. false outward show; façade; pretense.

   a hypocrite's masquerade of virtue.

4. activity, existence, etc., under false pretenses.

   a rich man's masquerade as a beggar.

verb (used without object)

masqueraded, masquerading 

1. to go about under false pretenses or a false character; assume the character of; give oneself out to be.

   to masquerade as a former Russian count.

2. to disguise oneself.

3. to take part in a masquerade.

masquerade

/ ˌmæskəˈreɪd /

noun

1. a party or other gathering to which the guests wear masks and costumes

2. the disguise worn at such a function

3. a pretence or disguise

verb

1. to participate in a masquerade; disguise oneself

2. to dissemble

Other Word Forms

• masquerader noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of masquerade¹

1580–90; earlier masquerada, mascarado, pseudo-Spanish forms of Middle French mascarade < Upper Italian mascherada; mask, -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of masquerade¹

C16: from Spanish mascarada, from mascara _mask

Example Sentences

A Philippine court on Thursday sentenced Alice Guo, a Chinese national who became a mayor while masquerading as a Filipina, and seven others to life in prison on human trafficking charges, state prosecutors said.

Read more on Barron's

A Philippine court on Thursday sentenced Alice Guo, a Chinese national who became a mayor while masquerading as a Filipina, and seven others to life in prison on human trafficking charges, state prosecutors said.

Read more on Barron's

On Oakland’s fringe there was a neighborhood, masquerading as an entirely separate town, called Rockridge.

Read more on Literature

Antisemitism masquerading as anti-Zionism became perhaps subtler, but its stench remained, its ultimate objectives unchanged.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

After a certain point, a willful, proud ignorance masquerading as superior wisdom becomes a social menace and a stigma of poor citizenship.

Read more on Salon