pseudo

[ soo-doh ]

See synonyms for pseudo on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not actually but having the appearance of; pretended; false or spurious; sham.
almost, approaching, or trying to be.

Origin of pseudo

First recorded in 1940–45; independent use of pseudo-

Other definitions for pseudo- (2 of 2)

pseudo-

a combining form meaning “false,” “pretended,” “unreal,” used in the formation of compound words (pseudoclassic; pseudointellectual): in scientific use, denoting close or deceptive resemblance to the following element (pseudobulb; pseudocarp), and used sometimes in chemical names of isomers (pseudoephedrine).

Origin of pseudo-

<Greek, combining form of pseudḗs false, pseûdos falsehood

Also especially before a vowel, pseud-.

Words that may be confused with pseudo-

pseudo- , quasi-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pseudo in a sentence

The office is standard Universal issue, sort of a pseudo English manor house.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Thankfully, the piece did not try to evoke the Internet through tired dance gestures or pseudo-digital music.
Sneer and Clothing in Miami: Inside The $3 Billion Woodstock of Contemporary Art | Jay Michaelson | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
So the real meat of Stalker, ostensibly, is the pseudo-intellectual conversation about misogyny.
‘Stalker’ Is an Awful Warning Against the Evils of Misogyny | Sujay Kumar | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He lived in the pseudo office, where his downstairs neighbors included Jeff Koons.
A ‘Truman Show’ For Today: The Return of Josh Harris | Anthony Haden-Guest | July 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He was busted but far from bust, and by February pseudo had 10 channels.
A ‘Truman Show’ For Today: The Return of Josh Harris | Anthony Haden-Guest | July 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

The next source from which we learn anything of this part of the subject is the pseudo-Euclidean Introductio Harmonica.
The Modes of Ancient Greek Music | David Binning Monro
"We've very much obliged to you, Miss Fulton," Bristow said in his pseudo-pleasant way.
The Winning Clue | James Hay, Jr.
In pseudo-angina, frequently observed in hysterical women, its action is all that can be desired.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2 | Various
And this false conviction I found in the pseudo-Christian religion which men had been teaching for fifteen hundred years.
My Religion | Leo Tolstoy
Ethical and moral instruction have disappeared from our pseudo-Christian society without leaving a trace.
My Religion | Leo Tolstoy

British Dictionary definitions for pseudo (1 of 2)

pseudo

/ (ˈsjuːdəʊ) /

adjective

informal not genuine; pretended

British Dictionary definitions for pseudo- (2 of 2)

pseudo-

combining form

false, pretending, or unauthentic: pseudo-intellectual
having a close resemblance to: pseudopodium

Origin of pseudo-

from Greek pseudēs false, from pseudein to lie

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse