pseudo
n.n. not real or genuine, even though it tries to look like it is. You use this to describe something that is fake or a copy of the real thing.
n. not genuine; sham or spurious. Often used as a prefix in technical contexts, but functions as a standalone descriptor in informal register to indicate insincerity or lack of authenticity.
He has a pseudo interest in art just to impress people.
The building was decorated in a pseudo-classical style that looked cheap compared to the original stone structures nearby.
Her pseudo-intellectual posturing during the seminar failed to mask a fundamental lack of engagement with the primary source material.
From Middle English, derived from prefix pseudo-, itself derived from Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false, lying”).
Commonly used as a prefix (pseudo-) attached to nouns or adjectives, but can stand alone as an adjective in informal speech.