Use of words more numerous and elaborate than necessary, such as
institution of higher learning for
college, and
partake of solid nourishment for
eat.
Pretentious diction usually has no place in good writing unless for ironic or humorous effect: H.L. Mencken delighted in the hifalutin use of tonsorial studio instead of barber shop. Still, any diction may be the right diction for a certain occasion: The choice of words depends on a writer's purpose and audience.