Synonyms of pretensions

pretensions

noun

plural of pretension

1

as in rights

an entitlement to something

a pretension of long standing to the throne of Hungary

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rights
• claims
• pretenses
• titles
• calls
• prerogatives
• privileges
• dibs
• refusals
• birthrights
• favors

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• waivers
• releases
• disclaimers
• quitclaims

2

as in goals

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish

has serious pretensions of becoming a writer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• goals
• purposes
• ambitions
• plans
• aims
• intentions
• ideas
• objectives
• objects
• dreams
• aspirations
• things
• intents
• ideals
• meanings
• targets
• designs
• points
• marks
• ends
• hopes
• bournes
• projects
• desires
• wishes
• schemes
• minds
• plots
• holy grails
• destinations
• grails
• nirvanas
• termini

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• means
• methods
• ways

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pretensions

Like Paul Schrader’s 1982 version of the latter, this is an upscale genre piece whose pretensions towards Art are upfront, starting with a quotation from no less than Schopenhauer. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026

At 61, unaligned to any party faction and with no pretensions to the highest office, the Scot would represent little threat to Burnham. — Ian King, CNBC, 15 July 2026

The British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, who converted to Christianity late in his life, pointed out that Jesus’s entire ministry was directed against the pretensions of earthly power. — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

Adley and his team make great tasting plates first and foremost, but some of the items, like the unmissable chicken wings stuffed with boudin blanc and romesco, act as a cheeky affront to haute cuisine’s pretensions and conventions. — Colin Wrenn, Denver Post, 3 June 2026

The digs at the pretensions of artists, channeled through Claire’s decision to make her death a public spectacle in order to secure some future fame, are less amusing here because the blows never seem to quite connect with their targets. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 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

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

The war with Ukraine has revealed the yawning gap between Russia’s pretensions and its capabilities. — George F. Will, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2026