ostentation

noun

os·​ten·​ta·​tion ˌä-stən-ˈtā-shən 

1

: excessive display : vain and unnecessary show especially for the purpose of attracting attention, admiration, or envy : pretentiousness

She dresses stylishly without ostentation.

an aesthetic preference for function over ostentation

—Wendell Garrett

their ostentation of new wealth and their prodigality with it

—Mark Sullivan

2

archaic : an act of displaying

Synonyms

• flamboyance
• flash
• flashiness
• garishness
• gaudiness
• glitz
• ostentatiousness
• pretentiousness
• showiness
• swank

Examples of ostentation in a Sentence

The actress avoids ostentation. She owns a small house and drives an inexpensive car.

He writes simply and clearly and without ostentation.

Recent Examples on the Web

As the country continues to grapple with high youth unemployment and troubles in its real estate market, some Chinese shoppers are turning away from ostentation amid the economic uncertainty. —Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 16 July 2024

Though it may be overstated, ostentation is part of what makes the genre a culturally distinct global phenomenon. —Julian Randall, Essence, 24 May 2024

While Hand of God shimmered with the director’s memories of his youth, the deeply personal nature and intimacy of that film are drowned here by ostentation. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024

Philippe Starck, Louis Ghost Chair, 2002 Modern design in Europe and the United States was largely a reaction to the ostentation that came before it, particularly among royalty and other privileged households. —Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ostentacion "display meant to evoke admiration," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin ostentātiōn-, ostentātiō "act of displaying, excessive display," from ostentāre "to hold up to view, display, show ostentatiously, flourish" (frequentative of ostendere "to hold out for inspection, show, demonstrate") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at ostensible

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ostentation

noun

os·​ten·​ta·​tion ˌäs-tən-ˈtā-shən 

: unnecessary show to attract attention, admiration, or envy