Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Language: Latin
Origin: meretricius, from meretrix 'prostitute', from merere; MERIT1

meretricious

 adjective
     
mer‧e‧tri‧cious formal
something that is meretricious seems attractive but has no real value or is not based on the truth:
meretricious research
—meretriciousness noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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