pseudoscience

• pseudo-science

pseudo- +‎ science, 1796, originally "pſeudo-ſcience" in reference to alchemy.[1]

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pseudoscience (countable and uncountable, plural pseudosciences)

1. Any body of knowledge that purports to be scientific or to be supported by science (or may appear to be scientific) but which fails to comply with the scientific method (or rather, is not true science).
   • 1796, James Pettit Andrews, Robert Henry, History of Great Britain, from the death of Henry viii. to the accession of James vi. of Scotland to the crown of England, page 87:

     The fantastical pseudo-science of alchemy has in all ages had its numerous votaries …

   • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

     We had enough to do in this world. Life was a beautiful thing. The man who appreciated its real duties and beauties would have sufficient to employ him without dabbling in pseudo sciences which had their roots in frauds, exposed already a hundred times and yet finding fresh crowds of foolish devotees whose insane credulity and irrational prejudice made them impervious to all argument.

2. Fictitious science as portrayed in science fiction.
   • 1952 November, Groff Conklin, Galaxy Science Fiction, page 122, column 1:

     It pulls together first-rate pseudo-science and high-grade detective meller of the Spillane school (but entirely clean) and the result is fine read-and-forget entertainment.

Note: "Pseudoscience" is a derogatory and judgmental label; see Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch, subsection "Contentious labels". So be careful about labeling something as pseudoscience. Experts disagree about what counts as pseudoscience, so the placement of a subject in this list, should not be considered an authoritative statement that said subject amounts to such.

• parascience