impostures
Acts of deception
Impostures is the plural of imposture, meaning acts of deception in which someone assumes a false identity or pretends to be something they're not.
The word emphasizes the calculated nature of the fraud: His credentials were later revealed to be elaborate impostures.
Imposture differs from simple lying in suggesting sustained performance of a false role.
Deceptive acts or impostors
- pretensesFalse outward appearances
- shamsFalse fronts, literal or figurative
- hoaxesIntentional public deceptions
- counterfeitsFraudulent imitations of valuables
fabrications · deceits · falsifications · charlatanism · masquerades · duplicity · trickery · ruses
Imitative performances of others
- disguisesConcealing altered appearances
- aliasesAlternate assumed identities
- pretendersThose falsely claiming something
- usurpersWrongful seizure perpetrators
charlatans · phonies · poseurs · fakes · mountebanks · quacks · masqueraders · wolves in sheep's clothing
Baroque comedy of imposture
- confidence tricksFrauds exploiting victim's trust
- picaresqueRascally adventure narrative style
- unreliable narratorsStorytellers whose credibility falters
- dramatic ironyAudience-character knowledge gap
unmasking · exposure · revelation · Catch Me If You Can · mistaken identity · doppelgangers · false prophets · Wizard of Oz
frauds
Deceptive acts or impostors
- pretensesFalse outward appearances
- shamsFalse fronts, literal or figurative
- hoaxesIntentional public deceptions
counterfeits · fabrications · deceits · falsifications · charlatanism · masquerades · duplicity · trickery · ruses · artifices
impersonations
Imitative performances of others
- disguisesConcealing altered appearances
- aliasesAlternate assumed identities
- pretendersThose falsely claiming something
usurpers · charlatans · phonies · poseurs · fakes · mountebanks · quacks · masqueraders · wolves in sheep's clothing · catfishing
Tartuffe
Baroque comedy of imposture
- confidence tricksFrauds exploiting victim's trust
- picaresqueRascally adventure narrative style
- unreliable narratorsStorytellers whose credibility falters
dramatic irony · unmasking · exposure · revelation · Catch Me If You Can · mistaken identity · doppelgangers · false prophets · Wizard of Oz · trickster tales
imposturesgenuineness
Quality of being real
the real thing · bona fides · actualities · genuine articles · authenticity
impostureshonesty
Truthfulness, sincerity
truthfulness · sincerity · candor · forthrightness · transparency