(adj) making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction, Ant. unpretentious, Example:a pretentious country house; a pretentious fraud; a pretentious scholarly edition
(n) the quality of being pretentious (behaving or speaking in such a manner as to create a false appearance of great importance or worth), Syn. largeness, pretension, Ant. unpretentiousness
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53 Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
a. [ Cf. F. prétentieux. See Pretend. ] Full of pretension; disposed to lay claim to more than is one's; presuming; assuming. -- Pre*ten"tious*ly, adv. -- Pre*ten"tious*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]