Charlatan

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ˈʃɑɹlÉ™tÉ™n/

Origin

From Middle French charlatan, from Old Italian ciarlatano ("quack"), a ciarlatore ("a chatterer")cerretano ("a hawker, quack"), literally, a native of Cerreto, a village in Umbria, known for its quacks.

Full definition of charlatan

Noun

1. A malicious trickster; a fake person, especially one who deceives for personal profit.

Synonyms

• swindler
• mountebank
• fraudster
• con-artist
• con-man
• imposter, impostor
• fraud
• phony
• fake

Related terms

• charlatanism
• charlatanry