pretension

[pri-ten-shuh n]

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.

Origin of pretension

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

pretension

[pree-ten-shuh n]

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for pretensions

conceit, hypocrisy, snobbery, pomposity, aspiration, pretense, ambition, vainglory, show, fake, phony, ostentation, disguise, pretentiousness, splash, affectation, front, put-on, charade, vanity

Examples from the Web for pretensions

Contemporary Examples of pretensions

“People need to get over their pretensions and embrace the Upper East Side,” says Mark Dorosz.
Why the Upper East Side Is Now Cooler Than Brooklyn
Tom Teodorczuk
September 2, 2014
They were remarkable affairs, not in the scale of their pretensions, but in their all-inclusive nature.
Doug Kenney: The Odd Comic Genius Behind ‘Animal House’ and National Lampoon
Robert Sam Anson
March 1, 2014
So much public sculpture comes off as oversized and overblown – as plop art, with pretensions to grandeur and greatness.
Honey, I Shrunk The Sculptures
Blake Gopnik
September 4, 2012
The O contained a whimsical smiley face, a wry, self-deprecating wink at the pretensions of power.
Paul Begala Asks Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright About Vaclav Havel
Paul Begala
December 20, 2011
Jim Harrison steps out of that tradition, but with contempt for its pretensions.
Jim Harrison Can Make You a Better Animal
John Avlon
September 23, 2010

Historical Examples of pretensions

Heyward was not slow to confirm an opinion that was so favorable to his own pretensions.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
And if he had, would not there have been an end of all his pretensions and hopes?
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
How widely different the nature and pretensions of thy worshippers!
Gomez Arias
Joaqun Telesforo de Trueba y Coso
Or why should the pretensions of the soutar be absolutely trusted?
Salted With Fire
George MacDonald
What pretensions has he that should entitle him to dream of you, Pauline?
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXII No. 4, April 1848
Various

British Dictionary definitions for pretensions

pretension

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

Word Origin and History for pretensions

pretension

mid-15c., "assertion, allegation; objection; intention; signification," from Medieval Latin pretensionem (nominative praetensio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin praetendere "stretch in front, put forward, allege" (see pretend (v.)). Meaning "unproven claim" is from c.1600. Sense of "ostentation" is from 1727.