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Definition of charlatan

charlatan

/ˈʃɑːr.lə.tən/
char · la · tan
Plural:charlatans
•
Adjective:charlatanic
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charlatan Lexical Profile

charlatan Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A person who falsely claims to possess special knowledge, expertise, or skill, especially in medicine or science; a fraudulent impostor or quack.

Example

"The medical board exposed the self-proclaimed healer as a charlatan who was selling flavored water as a miracle cure."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for charlatan
Antonyms
View all antonyms for charlatan

• Rhymes for charlatan

• Nearby Words

charitableness
charitably
charity
charlatan
charlemagne
charlene
charleroi

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the early 17th century via French from Italian 'ciarlatano', a blend of 'cerretano' (an inhabitant of Cerreto in Umbria, a village historically famed for its traveling quacks) and 'ciarlare' (to chatter or babble).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Charlatan. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/charlatan
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