Pretentious Definition
prĭ-tĕnshəs
adjective
Claiming that or behaving as if one is important or deserving of merit when such is not the case.
A pretentious socialite.
American Heritage
Making claims, explicit or implicit, to some distinction, importance, dignity, or excellence.
Webster's New World
Showing or betraying an attitude of superiority.
Made pretentious remarks about his education.
American Heritage
Affectedly grand; ostentatious.
Webster's New World
Ostentatious; intended to impress others.
Her dress was obviously more pretentious than comfortable.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Origin of Pretentious
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Note that pretentious is spelled with a "˜t' (-tious), unlike related pretense, pretension. This is due to the French spelling: *-sious does not occur as an English suffix, though -sion and -tion both do.
From Wiktionary
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From French prétentieux, from prétention, from Latin praetensus (“false or hypocritical profession"), past participle of praetendō.
From Wiktionary
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