PsychologyAugust 15, 2026

pretentious

pri-TEN-shuhs

Definition

Attempting to appear more important, intelligent, or sophisticated than one actually is.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'praetendere' (to pretend or stretch forward), the word evolved to describe someone who 'stretches' their personality to appear more significant than they really are.

In the news

The article notes that using jargon with specialists is not pretentious, but rather a form of efficient professional communication.

Cutting the jargon is not about dumbing down: research shows that needlessly complicated language makes writers seem less intelligent, not more, and that jargon quietly pushes readers away even when every term is defined for them

Read the full article ↗

ScienceBlog.com

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