pretension

1 of 2

noun

pre·​ten·​sion pri-ˈten(t)-shən How to pronounce pretension (audio)
1
: an allegation of doubtful value : pretext
2
: a claim or an effort to establish a claim
3
: a claim or right to attention or honor because of merit
4
: an aspiration or intention that may or may not reach fulfillment
has serious literary pretensions
5
pretensionless adjective

pretension

2 of 2

verb

pre·​ten·​sion ˌprē-ˈten(t)-shən How to pronounce pretension (audio)
pretensioned; pretensioning; pretensions
Choose the Right Synonym for pretension

ambition, aspiration, pretension mean strong desire for advancement.

ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

Examples of pretension in a Sentence

Noun He spoke about his achievements without pretension. I admire his honesty and lack of pretension. The restaurant offers excellent food without pretension.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
His journey of self-discovery prods at questions of artistry and acclaim, with gossips and pretension running amok as Léon wavers between the anxiety and undeniable glow of the spotlight. Ew Staff, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2023 Where True Detective could be heady to the point of pretension, Night Country is humanistic. Megan McCluskey, TIME, 12 Jan. 2024 Tje sentiment is consistent with the nature of the album, which was created without major pretensions, and ended up being one of the most important albums in Spanish of 2023. Diego Ortiz, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2023 In person, Pierce is gently disarming, with none of the intellectual pretension of Niles Crane. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2023 When that job ended, he was spared once again—this time because a Gestapo officer named Felix Landau, a sadist with artistic pretensions, enlisted him as his personal lackey. Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023 And these were new Continentals, having more sporting pretensions than their eight-cylinder predecessors, with 542 hp and 568 ft lbs of torque. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2023 And because everyone goes to Greggs, expressing fealty is a way of coding a lack of pretension. Rory Smith, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2023 Reviewers began to accuse her of involution, pretension, and self-entrancement. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pretension.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

pre- + tension entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pretension was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pretension

Cite this Entry

“Pretension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretension. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pretension

noun
pre·​ten·​sion
pri-ˈten-chən
1
2
: something one hopes to reach : aspiration, ambition
has serious pretensions as a writer
3

More from Merriam-Webster on pretension

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