Soi-disant

//ˌswɑːdiːˈzɒ̃// adj, adv

adj, adv ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of a person, self-styled, self-proclaimed, with implications of pretence or dishonesty. not-comparable

    "Moreover, Lady Dudley flattered herself with filling the next best part to the principal, that of confidante with Mrs. Courtenaye. Constance had, however, too much good taste, as well as good feeling, for this; she had betrayed her jealousy, not confessed it. Still, this was enough for her soi-disant friend, who went on torturing her with stories about Lady Marchmont's powers of fascination, and Lady Marchmont's coquetry."

  2. 2
    Of an object, claimed to be something it is not; pretended, so-called. not-comparable

    "A soi-disant pedigree."

Adjective
  1. 1
    as claimed by and for yourself often without justification wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    Supposedly. not-comparable

Synonyms

All synonyms
affectedallegedapocryphalartificialassumedbastard

Example

More examples

"He tendered a purse with some gold in it to the soi-disant captain."

Etymology

From French soi-disant.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.