Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make a conspicuous or ambitious display of; display.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb rare To make an ambitious display of; to show or exhibit boastingly.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive, obsolete To make an ambitious display of; to show or exhibit boastingly.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin ostentatus, past participle of ostentare, verb intens. from ostendere. See ostent.

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Examples

  • Beautie eche man knoweth, is one of natures ornamentes, by her wisedome ordeined, not to enter in triumphe, as victours vse vpon gaine of victorie, with brauerie to ostentate their glorie, by sound of Shalme and Dromme, but thankefully for the same, to proclaime the due praise to the authour of nature.

    The Palace of Pleasure, Volume 1 William Painter

  • “Forgetting all iniuries and displeasures past, done by the Romaine people against the Volscians, how can you abide the shame you suffer this daye, wherein to oure great reproch, they begin to ostentate and shew forth their plaies.

    The Palace of Pleasure, Volume 1 William Painter

Comments

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  • A very good word, most apposite for what I'm going to use it for.

    July 2, 2021