1
2
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
a woman full of pretension and pompousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
the pretension of that French restaurant is more than I can bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in purpose
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
has serious pretensions of becoming a writer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretension
Each installment was a chance for a new joke, a new observation—about fashion, dating, public restrooms, artistic pretensions, being mistaken for a man—in an era when popular depictions of lesbian experience were rare.
—
Charlie Tyson, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
Her generation had its pretensions, however rough the family seems now.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 21 May 2025
Venis, as the one who’s opened the Pandora’s box, is also a mirror version of OpenAI’s Sam Altman, minus Altman’s pretensions to caution.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
And often next to Ed, holding a single malt, there would be an unsmiling writer of great pretension looking down at you from a great height.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretension
Charlie Tyson, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
Her generation had its pretensions, however rough the family seems now.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 21 May 2025
Venis, as the one who’s opened the Pandora’s box, is also a mirror version of OpenAI’s Sam Altman, minus Altman’s pretensions to caution.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
And often next to Ed, holding a single malt, there would be an unsmiling writer of great pretension looking down at you from a great height.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretension
Noun
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Title The title is the legal right to own and use a property.—
James Nelson,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The failure to heed early warnings from experts like Makary and Bhattacharya—now in positions to reshape federal health policy—underscores the arrogance of it all.—
Houman Hemmati,
Oc Register,
20 July 2025
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One of the habits of being trustworthy is being humble, so when assertiveness tips into arrogance this is a red flag for potential clients.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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The scenic appeal is undeniable, nature’s majestic prose both frames and dwarfs the tumultuous affectations of the characters.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2025
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From our review: Tessa Van den Broeck, a newcomer, plays Julie with zero affectation.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This information is for educational purposes and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for, accounting, legal, tax, insurance, or investment advice.—
Heather L. Locus,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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It was once used as an anticonvulsant and sedative, but today is primarily used for cleaning, manufacturing and agricultural purposes, according to the National Institutes of Health.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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His documentation has qualities of absurdism that effectively question human superiority.—
Jonathon Keats,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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These proud franchises are expected to head a two-team race for NFC East superiority.—
Geoffrey Knox,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The two men lured the woman under the pretense of a meeting then beat her to death in the desert because of her gender identity, prosecutors said.—
Maritza Dominguez,
AZCentral.com,
31 July 2025
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Hoffa's son said the purpose of the meetings was just a pretense to get Hoffa alone to murder him.—
Eric Shawn,
FOXNews.com,
26 July 2025
Noun
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As a whole, aviation has a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, although that gets less likely by the year as sustainable aviation fuel development and scaling stalls.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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Nicolas Rodriguez, another second-half substitute, scored his first goal in purple in the 83rd minute.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Wellness festivals not going well Jewel had come up with an idea for a wellness festival alongside Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of Inclusion Companies.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
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The film deals with a range of ideas within the Chinese-American community regarding mental health, from the son’s Chinese therapist to Irene’s friend who believes he should be treated with herbs and chanting to others in the community who just see his schizophrenia as shameful.—
John Bleasdale,
Variety,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretension. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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