pretension

[ pri-ten-shuhn ]

/ prɪˈtɛn ʃən /

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See synonyms for: pretension / pretensions on Thesaurus.com

noun

the laying of a claim to something.

a claim or title to something.

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.

a claim to dignity, importance, or merit.

pretentiousness.

the act of pretending or alleging.

an allegation of doubtful veracity.

a pretext.

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Origin of pretension

First recorded in 1590–1600, pretension is from the Medieval Latin word praetēnsiōn- (stem of praetēnsiō). See pretense, -ion

Words nearby pretension

pretence, pretend, pretended, pretender, pretense, pretension, pretensive, pretentious, preter-, preterhuman, preterist

Other definitions for pretension (2 of 2)

pretension²

[ pree-ten-shuhn ]

/ priˈtɛn ʃən /

verb (used with object)

(in prestressed-concrete construction) to apply tension to (reinforcing strands) before the concrete is poured.Compare posttension (def. 1).

to make (a concrete member) with pretensioned reinforcement.

Origin of pretension

First recorded in 1935–40; pre- + tension

How to use pretension in a sentence

Buterin is wryly funny and almost wholly devoid of pretension or ego.
The Man Behind Ethereum Is Worried About Crypto's Future|Andrew R. Chow/Denver|March 18, 2022|Time
As Lipstein skewers the pretensions and delusions of literary ambition, he reveals the mental tricks that allow writers to imagine that they care only for art, not money or fame.
How to make it rich as a bad art friend|Ron Charles|January 18, 2022|Washington Post
His great divide stemmed from his love of science and hatred of literary pretension.
Who Said Science and Art Were Two Cultures? - Issue 108: Change|Kevin Berger|November 17, 2021|Nautilus
Mia Hansen-Løve, always a perceptive director and often a terrific one, takes that risk with Bergman Island—and in the end, after nearly running aground on the rocky shoals of pretension, it pays off.
Bergman Island Is the Rare Movie About Writers Trying To Write That Really Works|Stephanie Zacharek|October 15, 2021|Time

Neighborhood bowling alleys have a total lack of pretension in the best way.
America’s Independent Bowling Alleys Might Not Make It Through the Pandemic|Emma Orlow|January 15, 2021|Eater
Trekkies are defensive about the minutiae of their sacred source material, sometimes to the point of pretension.
Is J.J. Abrams Lost in Space?|Sujay Kumar|May 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Humor, after all, is a social corrective against arrogance, ignorance and pretension.
The Comedian Political Takeover|John Avlon|September 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST
But it's also because, from the APF's point of view, pretension is bad business.
Little Gimmicks Fund Big Exhibits|W.M. Akers|September 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
People loved Julia because she was very straightforward, and she didn't put on any airs, or have any pretension.
How Julia Loosened Me Up|Jacques Pepin|August 4, 2009|DAILY BEAST
“So corrupt, evil, vile American liberal culture, such United States pretension,” as Pygmy reports.
The Prince of Gibberish|Allen Barra|June 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The garden was in a perfect state of cultivation, but without the least pretension to taste in its arrangement.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
The comic poets ridiculed pretension, arrogance, quackery, and lies.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
The truth about the Carlist pretension is so little known in England that it may be well to state it.
Spanish Life in Town and Country|L. Higgin and Eugne E. Street
The coward is boastful when there is no danger: pretension succeeds in the absence of real merit!
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
And I'm actuated by positive benevolence; I've that impudent pretension.
The Tragic Muse|Henry James

British Dictionary definitions for pretension

pretension

/ (prɪˈtɛnʃən) /

noun

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

a specious or unfounded allegation; pretext

the state or quality of being pretentious

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pretension

Origin of pretension

Words nearby pretension

Other definitions for pretension (2 of 2)

Origin of pretension

Words related to pretension

How to use pretension in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pretension