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pretentious

Pronunciation: /prɪˈtɛnʃəs/
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Definition of pretentious

adjective

  • attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed:pretentious art films the pretentious jargon of wine experts

Derivatives

pretentiously

adverb

pretentiousness

noun

Origin:

mid 19th century: from French prétentieux, from prétention (see pretension1)

pretentious in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of pretentious in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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