1
as in right
an entitlement to something
a pretension of long standing to the throne of Hungary
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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4
as in purpose
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
has serious pretensions of becoming a writer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretension
The war with Ukraine has revealed the yawning gap between Russia’s pretensions and its capabilities.
—
George F. Will, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2026
The exquisite film, Derek vs Derek, raises pressing environmental issues, while conducting an exquisite study of idiosyncrasies at the same time, free of any pretension, though full of humor and substance.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
With his dweeby air, pretensions and position at the helm of an active production, Arthur is the Liz Lemon of this setup, but with the emphases reversed.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
His lack of pretension, reflected in performances that found power in subtlety, only added to the admiration of his peers and the public.
—Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretension
George F. Will, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2026
The exquisite film, Derek vs Derek, raises pressing environmental issues, while conducting an exquisite study of idiosyncrasies at the same time, free of any pretension, though full of humor and substance.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
With his dweeby air, pretensions and position at the helm of an active production, Arthur is the Liz Lemon of this setup, but with the emphases reversed.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
His lack of pretension, reflected in performances that found power in subtlety, only added to the admiration of his peers and the public.
—Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretension
Noun
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The farmworkers' rights movement has always been powered by courage, by people willing to endure, to speak out, to demand dignity in the face of injustice.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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That ruling led Williams to testify in his own defense, waiving his Fifth Amendment right and opening the door to introduce Franois’s statements in court.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Money and jealousy are the root of the play’s evils, with more deadly sins released in a world of posh, uppity arrogance.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
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In a study with 355 participants, the authors narrowed their list to 16 warning signs that predicted violence that occurred within six months — many of them having to do with entitlement, arrogance, control and emotional immaturity.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Slumming with her sister in San Francisco after her life with her Madoff-like ex in New York implodes, Jasmine Francis isn't quite willing to let go of the affectations that come with living in high society.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Trump has not only stolen top-secret government files, apparently for business purposes but used his office to harass and investigate his political targets.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In February, the judge overseeing the case dismissed several claims against the bank, but let stand two others.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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The state legislature has general immunity against claims for civil damages, so those would be sought from the town and could top $25 million, according to the lawsuit.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For years, the Red Bull driver was the benchmark – often cruising through races with rivals unable to challenge his superiority.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
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America has gone to war many times with the hubris of superiority.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Maybe the pretense was comforting to him, too.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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As architectural fashion has shifted, the software is no longer associated with complex geometry, and the pretense that digital tools might liberate architects—spurring them to new heights of creativity—has faded.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Hosting the biggest weekend in college basketball would be ideal, Orr and Wood of Sacramento State said, a goal shared by Visit Sacramento.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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In 73 career regular-season games with the Sirens and Ottawa Charge, Roese has accumulated 25 points (3 goals, 22 assists).—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretension. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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