🇫🇷French Source WordCode: FR

sans prétention

Pronunciation / Transliteration: sã pʁe.tã.sjɔ̃

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Unassuming/ˌʌn.əˈsjuː.mɪŋ/
adjectiveCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #4500 frequency
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🇫🇷 Example Sentence in French:

"Il mènait une vie simple et sans prétention."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Not arrogant or showy; modest and unpretentious.

    "Despite his enormous wealth, he lived in an unassuming house in the suburbs."
  2. 2

    Inconspicuous or unobtrusive in appearance or character.

    "The restaurant has an unassuming exterior that hides its world-class kitchen."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the prefix un- (meaning 'not') combined with assuming, the present participle of assume, which stems from the Latin assumere ('to take to oneself'). Historically evolving in the 17th century, 'assuming' originally meant arrogant or presumptuous, making 'unassuming' its direct negation to describe someone who does not arrogate attention or status to themselves.

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