ostentation
English
Etymology
Originated 1425–75 from late Middle English ostentacioun, borrowed from Middle French ostentation, from Latin ostentātiō, ostentātiōnem, equivalent to ostentātus (past participle of ostentāre, to display or exhibit), frequentative of ostendere (“to present, display”) + -iōn.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌɒstənˈteɪʃən/
- Rhymes: -eɪʃən
Noun
ostentation (usually uncountable, plural ostentations)
- Ambitious display; vain show; display intended to excite admiration or applause.
- (obsolete) A show or spectacle.
- 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 4 Scene 1
- Let her awhile be secretly kept in,
- And publish it that she is dead indeed:
- Maintain a mourning ostentation;
- 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 4 Scene 1
Synonyms
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Related terms
Translations
display of excessive show in an attempt to impress others
Further reading
- ostentation in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- ostentation in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
References
- “ostentation” in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
- “ostentation” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- "ostentation" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
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