potemkin village

English - Turkish

Definition of potemkin village in English Turkish dictionary

Potemkin köy

English - English

Definition of potemkin village in English English dictionary

Any false construct devised to disguise a shortcoming or improve appearances

Something that appears elaborate and impressive but in actual fact lacks substance: "the Potemkin village of this country's borrowed prosperity" (Lewis H. Lapham)

Related Terms

Potemkin villages

plural form of Potemkin village

Hyphenation

Po·tem·kin vil·lage

Turkish pronunciation

pıtemkîn vîlıc

Pronunciation

/pəˈtemkən ˈvələʤ/ /pəˈtɛmkɪn ˈvɪləʤ/

Etymology

() Purportedly named for fake settlements erected at the direction of Russian minister Grigori Alexsandrovich Potemkin to fool Empress Catherine II during her visit to Crimea in 1787.