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pretension
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2 ENTRIES FOUND:
  1. pretension
  2. arms of pretension

1pre·ten·sion

noun \pri-ˈten(t)-shən\

Definition of PRETENSION

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
: vanity, pretentiousness
— pre·ten·sion·less \-ləs\ adjective
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Examples of PRETENSION

  1. He spoke about his achievements without pretension.
  2. I admire his honesty and lack of pretension.
  3. The restaurant offers excellent food without pretension.

First Known Use of PRETENSION

15th century

Related to PRETENSION

Synonyms
call, dibs, pretense (or pretence), claim, right
Antonyms
humility, modesty, unassumingness, unpretentiousness
See Synonym Discussion at ambition

2pre·ten·sion

transitive verb \ˌprē-ˈten(t)-shən\

Definition of PRETENSION

: prestress

Origin of PRETENSION

pre- + 2tension
First Known Use: 1937

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

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Previous Word in the Dictionary: pretenseless
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