pretension

1 of 2

noun

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

: vanity, pretentiousness

pretensionless

pri-ˈten(t)-shən-ləs 

adjective

pretension

2 of 2

verb

pre·​ten·​sion ˌprē-ˈten(t)-shən 

pretensioned; pretensioning; pretensions

transitive verb

: prestress

Synonyms of pretension

Noun

• right
• claim
• pretense

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

The house did not have a European or East Coast seriousness, but rather a Californian dimension rooted in casualness, improvisation, and lack of pretension. —Rem Koolhaas, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026

Traditionally, Oscars hosts have been at their best when puncturing the pretensions of the stars in attendance, but for the most part, host Conan O’Brien bought into their sense of their own righteousness. —Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026

Start with Farm, a farm-to-table standout that sources directly from local growers and delivers California cuisine without the pretension. —Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2026

By the early 1950s, many clerics had come to see the Pahlavi monarchy, for all its secular pretensions, as a manageable partner. —Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Late Latin praetensiōn-, praetensiō "action of pretending, deceiving" (Medieval Latin, "allegation, assertion"), from Latin praetendere "to hold or stretch out, put forward as a pretext" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at pretend entry 1

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

Rhymes for pretension

• attention
• contention
• convention
• declension
• detention
• dimension
• dissension
• distension
• extension
• intension
• invention
• laurentian

Kids Definition

pretension

noun

pre·​ten·​sion

pri-ˈten-chən

1

: pretense sense 1

2

: something one hopes to reach : aspiration, ambition

has serious pretensions as a writer

3

: pretense sense 2