pseudoscience

American  

[soo-doh-sahy-uhns] / ˌsu doʊˈsaɪ əns /

noun

1. any of various methods, theories, or systems, as astrology, psychokinesis, or clairvoyance, considered as having no scientific basis.

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pseudoscience British  

/ ˌsjuːdəʊˈsaɪəns /

noun

1. a discipline or approach that pretends to be or has a close resemblance to science

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pseudoscience Cultural  

1. A system of theories or assertions about the natural world that claim or appear to be scientific but that, in fact, are not. For example, astronomy is a science, but astrology is generally viewed as a pseudoscience.

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Other Word Forms

• pseudoscientific adjective
• pseudoscientifically adverb
• pseudoscientist noun

Etymology

Origin of pseudoscience

First recorded in 1835–45; pseudo- + science

Example Sentences

“Most of this stuff is approximations. And it’s almost like pseudoscience in a way.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

Now, as chronic Lyme emerges from its era of hazy theories and pseudoscience, it continues to be tainted with its previous associations.

From Slate • Dec. 19, 2025

In the early ‘90s, authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, who were credited with coining the term “millennials,” took generational labels deep into the realm of pseudoscience.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2025

The claim was swiftly derided by experts who said the main study cited by proponents of this theory was strewn with errors and it was yet another example of Kennedy's penchant for "pseudoscience."

From Barron's • Oct. 9, 2025

Li’l Ol’ Me and the Stars Astrology is a particularly widespread pseudoscience.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos