Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin, from ostentare 'to show ostentatiously', from ostendere; OSTENSIBLE

ostentation

 noun
     
os‧ten‧ta‧tion [uncountable] formal
when you deliberately try to show people how rich or clever you are, in order to make them admire you:
Her lifestyle was remarkably free from ostentation.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary