Sciolist

Sciolist

ˈsīələst

Noun

  • A person who pretends to be knowledgeable and well informed.

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Example Sentences

“While he spoke confidently on the migratory habits of butterflies, I would call him a sciolist because he has no experience or education on the topic.” 

“After I researched her claims, she proved to be a sciolist with no real facts to back her up.”

“The sciolist will try to win a debate through charisma and bombastic claims, rather than with facts and reason.”

Word Origin

Latin, early 17th century

Why this word?

If someone called you a sciolist in the 17th century, that was a pretty harsh burn — it meant you were getting called out for pretending to know more than you did. The word “sciolist” comes from the Latin “scrire,” meaning “to know,” but there’s always been a sarcastic bent to the term. From its inception, it denoted a person who pretended to be more knowledgeable than they really were. While it’s an obscure word to use today, it has its modern uses. In the “Financial Times” in 1973: “Any identification of the Smithian system with this point of view is a sure sign of the sciolist or the charlatan.”

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