quackery

noun

quack·​ery ˈkwa-k(ə-)rē How to pronounce quackery (audio)
: the practices or pretensions of a quack

Examples of quackery in a Sentence

His cure was nothing but quackery.
Recent Examples on the Web Part of it is that the history of this field, both scientifically and technologically, has really been plagued by the shadow of quackery. IEEE Spectrum, 23 May 2023 Around 1910, the American Medical Association cracked down on quackery, and inventions like the Heidelberg Electric Belt, which sometimes caused sores, faded from the pages of the Sears Big Book. Leo Deluca, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Jan. 2023 And, according to modern scholars, L’Orvietan’s curative claims probably weren’t just pre-Enlightenment quackery. Elizabeth Heath, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023 Cue up the ads for pillows and quackery. Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 4 Nov. 2020 The idea is a sort of Grand Unified Theory of anti-quackery. Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling, The New Republic, 28 Feb. 2023 There are many parallels between that pandemic and this one, with people fighting mask mandates and the quackery that was involved with people trying everything under the sun to try to take care of the disease. Molly Glick, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quackery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1711, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quackery was circa 1711

Dictionary Entries Near quackery

Cite this Entry

“Quackery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quackery. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

quackery

noun
quack·​ery ˈkwak-(ə-)rē How to pronounce quackery (audio)
: the practices or claims of a quack

Medical Definition

quackery

noun
quack·​ery ˈkwak-(ə-)rē How to pronounce quackery (audio)
plural quackeries
: the practices or pretensions of a quack

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