unpretentious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unpretentious
First recorded in 1855–60; un- 1 + pretentious
Explanation
The adjective unpretentious is perfect for describing someone you know who's modest and natural and never tries to impress other people. Pretentious comes from the Latin word meaning "pretend," prætensus, so when you're unpretentious, you see no reason to pretend. Some of your favorite people are probably unpretentious, tending to be honest and genuine. When extremely talented or well-known people are unpretentious, they feel no need to show off or remind you of their accomplishments. A place can also be described as unpretentious, if it's simple and comfortable, like the cozy, unpretentious cafe where you like to hang out.
Vocabulary lists containing unpretentious
100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It's well-loved and unpretentious, with Chanel and Dior handbags dangling from the ceiling, and shelves of crystal-embellished heels.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
Norman Podhoretz was the author of a dozen or so books and innumerable reviews and essays, all written in clear, unpretentious prose.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
I found him unpretentious and easygoing in conversation, not given to theoretical double-talk, and with none of the abrasive New York swagger of his contemporaries.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
Redford runs around downtown New York in a blazer and jeans and you see a glimpse of the whole of unpretentious action stardom that followed.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025
An unpretentious Lutheran church—a chapel, really—that looks like a set for an Ingmar Bergman drama and can seat only about fifty parishioners, guards the site of the cemetery.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
