pre·ten·sion
pri-ˈten(t)-shən 
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
pre·ten·sion
ˌprē-ˈten(t)-shən
pretensioned; pretensioning; 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
The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
Such peculiarities, alongside a focus on a single leader with divine pretensions and an aggressive harvesting of money, have fed accusations that the Unification Church is a cult.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The ride of a sedan also tends to be more luxurious and better controlled too, because they’re not saddled with off-road pretensions or large tires.
—Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024
But the fact that the latter did and the former did not tells us something: Intellectual pretension is acceptable in our awards vehicles; emotional pretension far less so.
—Vulture, 3 Feb. 2024
Hollywood skewering Hollywood doesn't always play as intended, but this action comedy is audacious in portraying the pretensions of show business.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 27 Nov. 2023
Odd Duck was chosen because of its longtime dedication to serving an ever-evolving menu of elevated, globally inspired dishes with beautiful presentation but never pretension.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2024
But the only party in the alliance with pretensions to being a national party is the Congress.
—Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
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
Noun
The black-and-white cinematography and the heavy-handed allusions to Caravaggio—another killer on the run in Italy, albeit several centuries prior—only intensify the pretension.
—The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
Such peculiarities, alongside a focus on a single leader with divine pretensions and an aggressive harvesting of money, have fed accusations that the Unification Church is a cult.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The ride of a sedan also tends to be more luxurious and better controlled too, because they’re not saddled with off-road pretensions or large tires.
—Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024
But the fact that the latter did and the former did not tells us something: Intellectual pretension is acceptable in our awards vehicles; emotional pretension far less so.
—Vulture, 3 Feb. 2024
Hollywood skewering Hollywood doesn't always play as intended, but this action comedy is audacious in portraying the pretensions of show business.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 27 Nov. 2023
Odd Duck was chosen because of its longtime dedication to serving an ever-evolving menu of elevated, globally inspired dishes with beautiful presentation but never pretension.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2024
But the only party in the alliance with pretensions to being a national party is the Congress.
—Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
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
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
Dictionary Entries Near pretension
Cite this Entry
“Pretension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretension. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
pretension
noun
pre·ten·sion
pri-ˈten-chən
More from Merriam-Webster on pretension
Nglish: Translation of pretension for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pretension for Arabic Speakers
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