pseudomorphosis
- noun
- /ˌsuːdəˈmɔːrfəsɪs/
:
pseudomorfosis
- The sculpture was a clever pseudomorphosis, looking like marble but actually made of plastic.
Examples
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The new policy was criticized as a pseudomorphosis of real reform, changing only the surface.
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Cultural pseudomorphosis can occur when traditions are copied without understanding their true meaning.
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The pseudomorphosis of the rock made it look like a crystal.
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Many artists use pseudomorphosis to create illusions in their work.
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The sculpture was a clever pseudomorphosis, looking like marble but actually made of plastic.
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Cultural pseudomorphosis can occur when traditions are copied without understanding their true meaning.
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The new policy was criticized as a pseudomorphosis of real reform, changing only the surface.
Synonyms
2
9.9
Something that looks like the real thing but is not
Made to look like something real but not the original
Antonyms
How Genuine
Surface Forms
Morphology
pseudomorphosis = pseudomorph (semi-transparent) = pseudo + morph + osis
The word is built regularly from 'pseudomorph' plus the noun-forming suffix '-osis', but the term is technical rather than everyday.
Etymology
Pseudomorphosis comes from Greek parts pseudo- meaning 'false' and -morphosis meaning 'form' or 'shape'. A helpful image is a painted statue that looks like real marble but is actually plastic, so a pseudomorphosis is something that only has the outside of the real thing and not its true nature.