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definitions

unpretentious

[uhn-pri-ten-shuhs]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unpretentious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not pretentious; modest; without ostentatious display; plain: his unpretentious demeanor; an unpretentious summer resort.

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RELATED WORDS

humble, straightforward, folksy, homey, modest, laid-back, unassuming, unostentatious, discreet, down, lowly, plain, prosaic, unaffected, unembellished, unimposing, unobtrusive, unspoiled, easy-going, free-spirited

Origin of unpretentious

First recorded in 1855–60; un-1 + pretentious
Related formsun·pre·ten·tious·ly, adverbun·pre·ten·tious·ness, noun

Synonyms for unpretentious

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unpretentious ON THESAURUS.COM
humble, unpretending, plain, open, easy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unpretentious

Contemporary Examples of unpretentious

Historical Examples of unpretentious

  • Decent, unpretentious folks, somewhat new, but with loads of money.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • It was a roomy two-storied house, unpretentious, but very capacious.

    The Night Riders

    Ridgwell Cullum

  • Unpretentious buildings they were, of wood or brick, one-story and rambling.

    The Forbidden Trail

    Honor Willsie

  • Nor did it vary externally from any of its unpretentious neighbors.

    The Lure of the Mask

    Harold MacGrath

  • Something also it owed to its unpretentious yet practical and utilitarian character.

    Art in England

    Dutton Cook

British Dictionary definitions for unpretentious

unpretentious

adjective

not making claim to distinction or importance undeservedly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for unpretentious
adj.

1859, from un- (1) "not" + pretentious. Related: Unpretentiously; unpretentiousness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper