Practitioners & Professions Vocabulary

a person falsely claiming to have special knowledge or skill; a fraud

“The charlatan sold fake miracle cures to desperate patients.”

Origin: Italian ciarlatano `inhabitant of Cerreto`, known for quacks, from ciarlare `to chatter`

a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices

“The demagogue stirred up the crowd with inflammatory rhetoric.”

Origin: Greek dēmagōgos from dēmos `people` + agōgos `leading`

a self-taught person

“Despite never attending university, the autodidact became an expert in ancient languages.”

Origin: Greek autodidaktos from auto `self` + didaktos `taught` from didaskein `to teach`

a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit

“The virtuoso played the violin with breathtaking precision.”

Origin: Italian virtuoso `skilled, learned` from Latin virtus `excellence, virtue`

a person with detailed knowledge in a specialized field

“The mathematical savant could calculate complex equations in seconds.”

Origin: French savant `learned person` from savoir `to know`, from Latin sapere `to be wise`

an expert judge in matters of taste

“The wine connoisseur could identify the vineyard by a single sip.”

Origin: French connoisseur `expert`, from connaître `to know`, from Latin cognoscere

an expert or connoisseur in a particular field

“She was a fashion maven whose style was copied by celebrities.”

Origin: Yiddish meyvn `one who understands` from Hebrew mēbhīn `understanding`

an expert in a particular subject who is called upon to give opinions

“The political pundit predicted the election outcome on television.”

Origin: Hindi pandit `learned person` from Sanskrit pandita `learned`

a person who excels in telling anecdotes and stories

“The raconteur captivated dinner guests with tales of his travels.”

Origin: French raconteur `storyteller` from raconter `to relate, tell` from re- + aconter `to recount`

a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation

“My interlocutor raised several interesting points during our debate.”

Origin: Latin interloqui `to speak between` from inter `between` + loqui `to speak`

a strict disciplinarian, especially in the military

“The martinet demanded perfect adherence to every regulation.”

Origin: Named after Jean Martinet, 17th-century French drill master known for strict discipline

a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief

“The neophyte programmer struggled with basic syntax.”

Origin: Greek neophytos `newly planted` from neos `new` + phytos `planted` from phyein `to grow`

a person who is guided and supported by an older, more experienced person

“The young protégé learned everything from her mentor.”

Origin: French protégé `protected` from protéger `to protect`, from Latin protegere

a young person with exceptional abilities or qualities

“The chess prodigy defeated grandmasters at age twelve.”

Origin: Latin prodigium `prophetic sign, portent, monster` from pro `forth` + -igium (from agere `to drive`)

a person who inspires or influences others in a particular field

“She became a luminary in the field of environmental science.”

Origin: Latin luminare `lamp, light` from lumen `light`

a teacher, especially a strict or pedantic one

“The pedagogue demanded complete silence during lectures.”

Origin: Greek paidagōgos from pais `child` + agōgos `leader`, originally a slave who escorted children

a person who organizes and finances concerts, plays, or operas

“The impresario brought world-class performances to the small town.”

Origin: Italian impresario `manager` from impresa `undertaking`, from imprendere `to undertake`

a person of humble origin who has gained wealth or position

“The established families looked down on the parvenu despite his fortune.”

Origin: French parvenu `arrived` from parvenir `to arrive`, from Latin pervenire `to come to`

an outcast; someone who is avoided by others

“After the scandal, he became a pariah in the business community.”

Origin: Tamil paraiyar `hereditary drummers`, name of a low caste in southern India

a person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts

“The philistine dismissed the symphony as boring noise.”

Origin: Hebrew Pelištī, ancient people hostile to Israelites, later used for `uncultured person` in German

an expert in science or technology who has power in politics or industry

“The government was run by technocrats who prioritized efficiency over ideology.”

Origin: Greek tekhnē `art, craft` + kratos `power, rule`, coined in early 1900s

a person who knows and is able to use several languages

“As a polyglot, he could communicate easily in five different languages.”

Origin: Greek polyglōttos from poly `many` + glōtta `tongue, language`