Definitions

1. noun

A person or thing that is impressive or attractive on the surface but lacking in substance or reality.

“The politician’s Potemkin village of policies and promises hid the true extent of his failures.”

2. proper noun

A type of model ship, typically made of wood, that is a scale model of a ship, especially one from the 18th-century Russian Navy.

“The toy store sold a beautiful Potemkin model of the Imperial Russian Navy’s flagship.”

3. verb

To create the appearance of something without actually having it or making it.

“The company was accused of Potemkin villages, hiding their financial struggles behind a facade of success.”