Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - pretentious

 adjective  Etymology: French pretentieux, from pretention pretension, from Medieval Latin pretention-, pretentio, from Latin praetendere  Date: 1832  1. characterized by pretension: as  a. making usually unjustified or excessive claims (as of value or standing) the ~ fraud who assumes a love of culture that is alien to him — Richard Watts  b. expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature ~ language ~ houses  2. making demands on one's skill, ability, or means ; ambitious the ~ daring of the Green Mountain Boys in crossing the lake — American Guide Series: Vermont  Synonyms: see showy  • ~ly adverb  • ~ness noun