1. a person who pretends to be knowledgeable about many subjects but has only superficial knowledge
Usage: formal; somewhat archaic

Examples

• The sciolist at the party pontificated about quantum physics despite having no real understanding of the subject.
• She dismissed him as a mere sciolist who quoted famous authors without truly comprehending their works.
• The professor warned students not to become sciolists who memorize facts without grasping underlying principles.
• His reputation as a sciolist grew after he made several embarrassing errors during the academic debate.
• The book club avoided inviting the local sciolist who dominated discussions with shallow observations.
• Rather than admit ignorance, the sciolist offered confident but incorrect explanations on every topic.