charlatan

From Middle French charlatan, from Old Italian ciarlatano (“quack”), a blend of ciarlatore (“chatterer”) + cerretano (“hawker, quack”, literally “native of Cerreto”) (Cerreto di Spoleto being a village in Umbria, known for its quacks).

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɑɹlətən/

• Audio (Canadian)

  (file)

charlatan (plural charlatans)

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

   Synonyms: trickster, swindler; see also Thesaurus:deceiver

   • 2018 (June), Ian Murray in The Independent

     That this disgraceful charlatan holds one of the great offices of state in this country should be a source of constant shame and embarrassment to the Prime Minister.

• charlatanism
• charlatanry

From Italian ciarlatano. Pejorative meaning first recorded 1668.

• IPA^(key): /ʃaʁ.la.tɑ̃/

• charlatan

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charlatan m (plural charlatans, feminine charlatane)

1. (dated) a streetseller of medicines
2. a charlatan (trickster)
3. a quack

• “charlatan” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

charlatan m (plural charlatans)

1. a street-seller of medicines