pretension

¹ American  

[pri-ten-shuhn] / prɪˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

pretensions plural

1. the laying of a claim to something.

   Synonyms:

   profession, assertion

2. a claim or title to something.

3. Often pretensions a claim made, especially indirectly or by implication, to some quality, merit, or the like.

   They laughed at my pretensions to superior judgment.

4. a claim to dignity, importance, or merit.

5. pretentiousness.

   Synonyms:

   pretense, airs, affectation

6. the act of pretending or alleging.

7. an allegation of doubtful veracity.

8. a pretext.

   Synonyms:

   excuse

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pretension ² American  

[pree-ten-shuhn] / priˈtɛn ʃən /

verb (used with object)

1. (in prestressed-concrete construction) to apply tension to (reinforcing strands) before the concrete is poured; prestress.

2. to make (a concrete member) with pretensioned reinforcement.

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pretension British  

/ prɪˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. (often plural) a false or unsupportable claim, esp to merit, worth, or importance

2. a specious or unfounded allegation; pretext

3. the state or quality of being pretentious

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pretensions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pretension¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Medieval Latin praetēnsiōn- (stem of praetēnsiō ); see pretense, -ion

Origin of pretension²

First recorded in 1935–40; pre- + tension

Explanation

Pretension is what you're guilty of when you boorishly try to impress other people with how important or clever you are. When you speak with pretension, you're boastful and you puff yourself up as someone very important or of great worth. If you have literary pretensions, you most likely think you're a great writer, but you most likely are not. As you might imagine, this word has the same Latin roots as pretend and pretense. A pretension can also be the advancing of a claim.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pretension pretensions

In some ways the films seem to invite accusations of pretension, of reach exceeding grasp and grandeur stretched into grandiosity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025

The scene was very close-knit, and they didn’t have any pretension of getting signed to a major label or anything.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2025

There was a baby-knit culotte and matching polo with Gucci stripe detailing, worn without pretension.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2023

A male student, Seamus, thinks it — and the general atmosphere of pretension and victimhood in the seminar — so ridiculous he vows to write a retaliatory poem called “Gorgon’s Head.”

From New York Times ● May 21, 2023

We have responded to this distant Austrian’s voice across the years and the continents so spontaneously because his music seems simply to flow out of him, intuitively, without cynicism or intellectual pretension.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

He has no pretensions, but he’s completely comfortable on camera—something to director Lee’s advantage and which probably helped the pupils to relax.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The gap between European pretensions and European reality has become a chasm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

In 1956, shortly before his death, Mencken went even further; “American journalism is predominantly paltry and worthless. Its pretensions are enormous, but its achievements are insignificant.”

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2025

Nauman’s, however, is refreshingly without illusions or pretensions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2025

“Why pretensions? Do you think I could not become an artist?”

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

Related Words

• conceit
• hypocrisy
• pomposity
• snobbery