Sciolism
/ˈsaɪ.əˌlɪz.əm/noun
The pretence of knowledge; shallow, smug half-learning.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *sciolus*, a sneering term for someone who is a little too quick to act wise—literally a “little know-it-all.”
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
sciolus
“a person with a smattering of knowledge; a petty know-it-all”
Late Latin
Latin
sciolismus
“the quality or practice of shallow, pretended knowledge”
18th Century
English
sciolism
“the display or affectation of superficial knowledge”
Modern English
English
sciolism
“pretentious shallow learning or the pretense of knowledge”
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