ostentativ

[ɔstɛntaˈtiːf]

/[ɔstɛntaˈtiːf]/ adj

The verdict

“ostentativ” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - auf Beachtung berechnet, zur Schau gestellt, in einer herausfordernden Weise, bewusst ausrichten

Corpus desk

Index DE-ostentativ · ostentativ · German

ostentativ · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for ostentativ
PropertyValue
Headwordostentativ
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ɔstɛntaˈtiːf]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „ostentativ“ im Deutschen

ostentativliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ostentativ is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed [ɔstɛntaˈtiːf]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "auf Beachtung berechnet, zur Schau gestellt, in einer herausfordernden Weise, bewusst ausrichten".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for ostentativ, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is ostentativ, spelled O-S-T-E-N-T-A-T-I-V.

Definition

  1. 1
    auf Beachtung berechnet, zur Schau gestellt, in einer herausfordernden Weise, bewusst ausrichten

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ostentativ appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Sie verließ ostentativ den Raum.
  2. „Wirkliche Bedeutung erreichen jene Politiker, die, wie Helmut Schmidt oder Hans-Jochen Vogel, ostentativ einen bescheidenen Lebensstil pflegen.“

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ostentativ"?
"ostentativ" is spelled O-S-T-E-N-T-A-T-I-V. The IPA pronunciation is [ɔstɛntaˈtiːf].
What does "ostentativ" mean?
As an adjective, "ostentativ" means: auf Beachtung berechnet, zur Schau gestellt, in einer herausfordernden Weise, bewusst ausrichten
How do you pronounce "ostentativ"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ostentativ" is [ɔstɛntaˈtiːf]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ostentativ" come from?
"ostentativ" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list