The

prefix A prefix is an affix which is placed before the stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix ''un-'' is added to the word ''happy'', it creates the word ''unhappy''. Particul ...

pseudo- (from Greek ψευδής, ''pseudes'', "false") is used to mark something that superficially appears to be (or behaves like) one thing, but is something else. Subject to context, ''pseudo'' may connote coincidence, imitation, intentional deception, or a combination thereof. * In scholarship and studies,

pseudo-scholarship Pseudo-scholarship (from pseudo- and scholarship) is a term used to describe work (e.g., publication, lecture) or a body of work that is presented as, but is not, the product of rigorous and objective study or research; the act of producing such ...

refers to material that is presented as, but is not, the product of rigorous and objective study or research. Examples: ** Pseudoarchaeology ** Pseudohistory ** Pseudolinguistics *** Pseudoscientific language comparison *** Folk linguistics ** Pseudomathematics **

Pseudophilosophy Pseudophilosophy is a term applied to a philosophical idea or system which does not meet an expected set of philosophical standards. There is no universally accepted set of standards, but there are similarities and some common ground. Definitions ...

Pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

Pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable claim ...

**Pseudoculture * In biology and botany, the prefix 'pseudo' is used to indicate a species with a coincidental visual similarity to another

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

. For example, '' Iris pseudacorus'' is known as '''pseud''acorus' for having leaves similar to those of '' Acorus calamus''. In biology, coincidental similarity is not the same as

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...

. * In literary studies, the prefix 'pseudo-' is used to indicate false attribution of authorship. For example,

Pseudo-Aristotle Pseudo-Aristotle is a general cognomen for authors of philosophical or medical treatises who attributed their work to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, or whose work was later attributed to him by others. Such falsely attributed works are known as ...

is the name given to persons who falsely wrote under the name of Aristotle to give their own ideas greater credibility. The false ascription of authorship is called ''pseud''epigraphy, and the works themselves are called ''pseud''epigrapha. The 'pseudo-' prefix is not used for

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

s, false names used to hide one's true identity. * In linguistics, the prefix 'pseudo-' is also applied to certain categories of loanwords in which words are used in a way that does not coincide with the way the word is used in the original language. For example, the English word ''handy'' has been adopted in colloquial German as the term for a mobile/cell phone. This is known as a

pseudo-anglicism A pseudo-anglicism is a word in another language that is formed from English elements and may appear to be English, but that does not exist as an English word with the same meaning. For example, English speakers traveling in France may be struck ...

. * In historiography, the prefix 'pseudo' is also applied to imposters or false claimants to a throne, for example Pseudo-Nero. * In pharmacology, the 'pseudo' prefix is also used to identify an alternate form of a pharmacological compound. For example,

pseudoephedrine Pseudoephedrine (PSE) is a sympathomimetic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes. It may be used as a nasal/sinus decongestant, as a stimulant, or as a wakefulness-promoting agent in higher doses. It was first charact ...

. * In the study of art, the 'pseudo' prefix is applied to an imitation of the artistic style of a different cultural background (in contradistinction to ''neo-'', the imitation of a style of an earlier epoch). For example, Pseudo-Kufic,

Pseudo-Cyrillic Faux Cyrillic, pseudo-Cyrillic, pseudo-Russian or faux Russian typography is the use of Cyrillic letters in Latin text, usually to evoke the Soviet Union or Russia, though it may be used in other contexts as well. It is a common Western trope us ...

, Pseudo-Chalcidian, pseudo-naïve. * In geology and geography, the 'pseudo' prefix is also used for topographical formations that superficially appear to have been formed by one process, but were formed by another. For example, pseudo-atoll. * In mathematics, the 'pseudo' prefix is also applied to items that are similar to (or mathematically behave like) something else, but not exactly that. For example, pseudo-arcs, pseudorandomness, pseudoprime. * In networking, a pseudowire is a point-to-point connection that emulates a physical wire between two locations. * In anthropology, the 'pseudo' prefix is applied to cultural representation, most commonly related to indigenous cultures. A pseudo-culture is a form of cultural expression that was designed for monetary gain, and helps to further erode cultural identity of natives. It strays from authentic traditions and provides a false representation of a culture. *As a term, "pseudo" may refer to someone with

pseudoachondroplasia Pseudoachondroplasia is an inherited disorder of bone growth. It is a genetic autosomal dominant disorder. It is generally not discovered until 2–3 years of age, since growth is normal at first. Pseudoachondroplasia is usually first detected b ...

, a form of dwarfism.

See also