pseudo-medicine

noun

Any system of treatment of physical ailments, or substances prescribed for such treatment, purported to be medical or supported by critical medical science but which cannot be shown to be effective

Similar
quackeryhealth fraud
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Meanings

nounpseudo-medicine (countable and uncountable, plural pseudo-medicines)

plural pseudo-medicines · alternative pseudomedicine

  1. countableuncountableAny system of treatment of physical ailments, or substances prescribed for such treatment, purported to be medical or supported by critical medical science but which cannot be shown to be effective

    Synonyms: quackery, health fraud

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny system of treatment of physical ailments, or substances prescribed for such treatment, purported to be medical or supported by critical medical science but which cannot be shown to be effective

Similar
quackeryhealth fraud

Origin

From pseudo- + medicine. 19th-century coinage (1820s or 1830s).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pseudo-medicine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pseudo-medicine

MLA

“pseudo-medicine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pseudo-medicine. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pseudo-medicine,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pseudo-medicine.

Source: pseudo-medicine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.