/ prɪˈtenʃəs; NAmE / adjective
( disapproving ) trying to appear important, intelligent, etc. in order to impress other people; trying to be sth that you are not, in order to impress :
That's a pretentious name for a dog!
It was just an ordinary house—nothing pretentious.
He's so pretentious!
—compare unpretentious
► pre·ten·tious·ly adverb
► pre·ten·tious·ness noun [ U ]
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent.: from French prétentieux , from prétention from medieval Latin praetensio(n-) , from praetens- alleged, from the verb praetendere stretch forth, claim, from prae before + tendere stretch.