imposture

  • 1imposture — [ ɛ̃pɔstyr ] n. f. • 1546; emposture 1190; bas lat. impostura 1 ♦ Vieilli Action de tromper par des discours mensongers, de fausses apparences. ⇒ mensonge, tromperie. « Mentir pour son avantage à soi même est imposture » (Rousseau). 2 ♦ Littér.… …

    Encyclopédie Universelle

  • 2imposture — Imposture. s. f. L S se prononce. Calomnie, ce que l on impute faussement à quelqu un dans le dessein de luy nuire. Imposture horrible, manifeste. grossiere imposture. imposture aisée à refuter. se justifier d une imposture. il est aisé de… …

    Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • 3imposture — imposture, cheat, fraud, sham, fake, humbug, deceit, deception, counterfeit all mean something which pretends to be one thing in its nature, character, or quality but is really another. Imposture applies not only to an object but to an act or… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 4Imposture — Im*pos ture, n. [L. impostura: cf. F. imposture. See {Impone}.] The act or conduct of an impostor; deception practiced under a false or assumed character; fraud or imposition; cheating. [1913 Webster] From new legends And fill the world with… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 5imposture — (n.) act of willfully deceiving others, 1530s, from M.Fr. imposture, from L.L. impostura, from impostus (see IMPOST (Cf. impost)) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6imposture — I noun cheat, chicane, counterfeit, craft, cunning, deceit, deception, dodge, duplicity, fake, fallacia, false conduct, forgery, fraud, fraudulence, fraus, guile, hoax, hollow pretense, imitation, knavery, pretense, ruse, sham, sleight,… …

    Law dictionary

  • 7imposture — [n] fraud, trick artifice, cheat, con, copy, counterfeit, deceit, deception, fabrication, fake, feint, fiddle, flimflam*, forgery, gambit, hoax, hocus pocus*, illusion, imitation, impersonation, imposition, make believe, maneuver, masquerade,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 8imposture — Imposture, Impostura, Fraus, Fallacia …

    Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • 9imposture — ► NOUN ▪ an instance of assuming a false identity …

    English terms dictionary

  • 10imposture — [im päs′chər] n. [Fr < LL impostura] the act or practice of an impostor; fraud; deception …

    English World dictionary