Dictionary

pseudohistory en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

From pseudo- + history, coined around 1815, after New Latin pseudo-historia (since 1654 or earlier according to OED).

Meanings

1. (countable, derogatory, uncountable) False history.
   • When asked what could possibly justify their aggression, they responded with nothing but pseudohistory and mythology.
2. (countable, derogatory, uncountable) Any work claiming to be a historical account without using established historiographical methods, especially one using personal speculation or questionable evidence without necessary care or concern for the truth.
   • The contemptible trick practised by Mr. Anderson, in the first chapter of his pseudo-history, must not pass without due correction. 1815, Tobias George Smollett, editor, The Critical review: or, Annals of literature, volume 1, page 152:
   • Also of note: 102 pulp novels by L. Ron Hubbard, 90 books by the Young Earth creationist pastor John F. MacArthur, and multiple works of aliens-built-the-pyramids pseudo-history by Erich von Däniken. 2023 August 19, Alex Reisner, “Revealed: The Authors Whose Pirated Books Are Powering Generative AI”, in The Atlantic:

Forms

Coordinates

quasihistorical

Hypernyms

pseudo-scholarship

Hyponyms

euhemerization

Relateds

antihistory · pseudohistorian · pseudohistorical

Translations (2)

sv pseudohistoria (any work that claims to be history, but does not use established historiographical methods) · ga bréagstair (any work that claims to be history, but does not use established historiographical methods)