pseudo

[ soo-doh ]

/ ˈsu doʊ /

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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.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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).

Also especially before a vowel, pseud-.

Origin of pseudo-

<Greek, combining form of pseudḗs false, pseûdos falsehood

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|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|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|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|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|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-

sometimes before a vowel pseud-

combining form

false, pretending, or unauthenticpseudo-intellectual

having a close resemblance topseudopodium

Word Origin for 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

pseudo

Origin of pseudo

Other definitions for pseudo (2 of 2)

Origin of pseudo-

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pseudo-

Words related to pseudo

How to use pseudo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pseudo (1 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for pseudo (2 of 2)

sometimes before a vowel pseud-

Word Origin for pseudo-