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

Total self-assurance is exactly how Sonny, like Pitt, gets away with his pretension.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2025

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

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2023

But embedded in such restrictions one may infer either a resistance to having his work pushed to the fringes, or a pretension in contextualizing it as a mainstream experience.

From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2023

It’s a city that prides itself on its open-mindedness, its lack of pretension, and its homegrown slang.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

In Britain, the “angry young men” movement led by John Osborne in the theater was underway, and the social pretensions and expertly crafted witticisms of Coward’s comedies had fallen out of fashion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

“Fuze” was one of my favorite treats at last fall’s Toronto International Film Festival, although unlike many of the other films it premiered alongside, it has no pretensions of being an awards contender.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Edmund is said to be brilliant but we mostly get evidence of his pretensions and “annoying air of lazy authority.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 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

She laughed at Arobin’s pretensions, and deplored Mrs. Highcamp’s ignorance.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

Related Words

• conceit
• hypocrisy
• pomposity
• snobbery