Editing Charlatan (section)

{{short description|Person engaging in deceptive practices}}
{{Other uses}}
{{redirect|Swindler}}

[[File:Bemberg Fondation Toulouse - Le Charlatan - Pietro Longhi - Inv 1029.jpg|thumb|[[Pietro Longhi]]: ''The Charlatan'', 1757]]

A '''charlatan''' (also called a '''swindler''' or '''mountebank''') is a person practicing [[quackery]] or a similar [[confidence trick]] in order to obtain money, power, fame, or other advantages through [[false pretenses|pretense]] or [[deception]]. One example of a charlatan appears in the ''[[The Canterbury Tales|Canterbury Tales]]'' story "[[The Pardoner's Tale]]," with the Pardoner who tricks sinners into buying fake religious relics. Synonyms for ''charlatan'' include ''[[shyster]]'', ''quack'', or ''faker''. ''Quack'' is a reference to ''[[quackery]]'' or the practice of dubious medicine, including the sale of [[snake oil]], or a person who does not have medical training who purports to provide medical services.