Dictionary

pseudoscientific en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌsʉː.dəʉ̯ˌsɑe̯.ənˈtɪf.ɪk/ (Australia)
• so͞o′dō-sī′ən-tĭf′ĭk
• /ˌsʉ.doˌsaɪ̯.ʌnˈtɪf.ɪk/ (Scotland)
• /ˌsu.doʊ̯ˌsaɪ̯.ənˈtɪf.ɪk/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˌsuː.dəʊ̯ˌsaɪ̯.ənˈtɪf.ɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsʉ.doˌsaɪ̯.ənˈtɪf.ɪk/ (Scotland)
• /ˌsʉː.dɐʉ̯ˌsɑe̯.ənˈtəf.ək/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌsuː.dəʊ̯ˌsʌɪ̯.ənˈtɪf.ɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsuː.dəʊ̯ˌsaɪ̯.ənˈtɪf.ɪk/

Etymology

Etymology tree Pre-Greekder.? Ancient Greek ψεύδω (pseúdō) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Proto-Hellenic *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -ής (-ḗs) Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudḗs)der. Middle English pseudo- English pseudo- Proto-Indo-European *sek-? Proto-Indo-European *-éyti Proto-Indo-European *skey-der. Latin sciō Latin sciēns Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin scientialbor. Old French sciencebor. Middle English science English science English pseudoscience Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der. Proto-Italic *θakos Proto-Italic *-fakos Latin -(i)ficuslbor. English -ific ▲ English scientificinflu. English pseudoscientific From pseudoscience + -ific, influenced by scientific. By surface analysis, pseudo- + scientific. First attested in 1836.

Meanings

1. Of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience; not scientific, though purporting to be scientific.
   • Don’t let manipulative state legislators misrepresent science and fearmonger you into giving them money. At the very least, don’t let them continue with their false pseudoscientific assertions. Pressure them to do their jobs and introduce real evidence-based legislation – like the Equality Act – that will improve lives. 2021 June 24, Jack Turban and Jules Gill-Peterson, “Attacks on trans people are also attacks on science itself”, in CNN, archived from the original on 08 Oct 2022:
   • Many postsecondary educators are concerned about the rising tide of pseudoscientific, fundamentally anti-intellectual belief among otherwise well educated Americans. 1996, Mark E. Ware, David E. Johnson, Handbook of Demonstrations and Activities in the Teaching of Psychology, volume I, →ISBN, page 13:
   • […] another example of the desire to control deviant lifestyles: the preparation by the FBI of pseudoscientific "profiles" that purport to describe the murderers. 1983 August 13, Mark McHarry, “FBI”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 5, page 4:
   • The trolls did not match the old professional racists’ stuffy style, but they found use in their pseudoscientific graphics. 2022 May 20, Elle Reeve, “How White ‘replacement theory’ evolved from elderly racists to teens online to the alleged inspiration for another racist mass homicide”, in CNN, archived from the original on 13 Aug 2022:
   • Some pseudoscientific claims explain what non-believers cannot even observe, e.g. orgone energy, N-rays, or chi. 2003 August 15 [1994], Robert Todd Carroll, “pseudoscience”, in The Skeptic's Dictionary, →ISBN, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

pseudoscientificness · pseudoscientificalness · pseudoscientifical · pseudoscientifically

Relateds

pseudoscientist · pseudoscientism · pseudoscience · pseudoscientistic · pseudomedical · pseudoprofessional

Translations (31)

es pseudocientífico (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · ia pseudoscientific (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · cmn 偽科學的 /伪科学的 (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · pl pseudonaukowy (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · io pseudociencala (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · hu áltudományos (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · cs pavědecký (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · kk жалған ғылыми (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · ka ფსევდომეცნიერული (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · uk псевдонауко́вий (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · de pseudowissenschaftlich (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · fi näennäistieteellinen (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · nn pseudovitskapleg (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · nb pseudovitenskapelig (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · sv pseudovetenskaplig (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · be псеўданавуко́вы (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · da pseudovidenskabelig (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · ja 疑似科学的 (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · nn pseudovitskapeleg (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · ca pseudocientífic (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · de afterwissenschaftlich (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · kk жалған ғылымдық (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · fr pseudo-scientifique (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · nl pseudowetenschappelijk (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · eo pseŭdoscienca (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · ru псевдонау́чный (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · fr pseudoscientifique (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · pt pseudocientífico (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · fi pseudotieteellinen (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · cs pseudovědecký (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience) · de scheinwissenschaftlich (of, relating to, or employing pseudoscience)