unpretendinglyadv.
/ˌʌnprᵻˈtɛndɪŋli/, U.S. /ˌənprəˈtɛndɪŋli/ Now rare.
Without pretension; modestly, unassumingly. Also: without pretence, genuinely.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adverb]
lowlyc1350
demurelyc1400
lowlily1415
simplyc1430
murely1474
littlya1500
modestly1569
unpretendingly1701
unambitiously1746
meeverly1757
unpresumptuously1758
unostentatiously1771
unconceitedly1812
unpretentiously1852
unassertively1981
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > foundation in fact, validity > [adverb] > truly, genuinely
trulyc1225
truea1400
veritably1481
veritable1490
authentically1593
indeeda1616
genuinely1640
real1645
unpretendingly1701
honest to God1892
1701 J. Collier tr. A. Dacier Life Marcus Aurelius Antoninus p. xxiii, in tr. Marcus Aurelius Conversat. with Himself Marcus Antoninus was settled and certain in his Humour, unpretendingly Grave [L. gravis], and not without a Mixture of Affability and Complaisance.
1828 T. Moore in Mem. (1854) V. 264 It is impossible for a royal personage to be more naturally and unpretendingly unaffected.
1855 N. Wiseman Fabiola 359 Miriam would follow up, humbly and unpretendingly,..the instructions given by the holy Dionysius.
1859 W. Collins Queen of Hearts I. 99 If these narratives were written plainly and unpretendingly.
1908 N. Amer. Rev. Oct. 508 Howard began unambitiously and unpretendingly, desirous of composing the kind of play likely to please the audiences of his own day.
1952 D. Friend Diary 14 Nov. (2005) III. 169 The intense pleasure that he openly and happily takes in this dalliance is unpretendingly a pleasure in my pleasure.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
<
adv.1701