pretender

American  

[pri-ten-der] / prɪˈtɛn dər /

noun

1. a person who pretends, especially for a dishonest purpose.

2. an aspirant or claimant (often followed byto ).

   a pretender to the throne.

3. a person who makes unjustified or false claims, statements, etc., as about personal status, abilities, intentions, or the like.

   a pretender to literary genius.

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pretender British  

/ prɪˈtɛndə /

noun

1. a person who pretends or makes false allegations

2. a person who mounts a claim, as to a throne or title

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Etymology

Origin of pretender

First recorded in 1585–95; pretend + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Like many previous movies about those who ply that physical trade, “Rental Family” explores the anguish of a paid pretender troubled by increasingly genuine feelings.

From The Wall Street Journal

Occasionally a pretender has exploded out of the blocks in early season, winning games, throwing shapes, threatening to upset the way of things, but they've always been cut down by the Glasgow goliaths.

From BBC

The game was billed as a meeting between the club that wears the crown and the pretenders whose recent attempts to win the title have ended in the bitter disappointment of falling short.

From BBC

And finally, the much expected transition, with the Italian legend stepping aside to take charge of the Brazil national team, and the young pretender Alonso returning to the Bernabeu as his successor.

From BBC

It's a tournament's watershed, where contenders rise and pretenders are washed away.

From BBC