1. people who have superficial knowledge and pretend to be more learned than they are
Usage: formal; often derogatory

Examples

• The debate was dominated by sciolists who quoted famous philosophers without understanding their arguments.
• She dismissed the critics as mere sciolists who had never studied the subject seriously.
• The professor warned against becoming sciolists who memorize facts without grasping underlying principles.
• These sciolists impress audiences with fancy terminology but lack real expertise.
• The internet has created many sciolists who mistake quick searches for genuine learning.
• Academic conferences sometimes attract sciolists seeking to appear knowledgeable.