PRETENSIONS Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

pretensions

noun

plural of pretension

as in rights

an entitlement to something a pretension of long standing to the throne of Hungary

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in goals

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish has serious pretensions of becoming a writer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pretensions Their trading volume, political influence and public profiles have expanded — as have their pretensions. — W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 Anyone can join this adventure, this surge of solidarity through collective prayer for our world, to put a stop to all the pretensions of evil. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2026 Martin insisted that it could be done without schmaltz, but the singer was wary of wrecking their reputation with classical pretensions. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 The genre, with its sanitized storylines and Oscar-baiting pretensions, seems fundamentally at odds with the iconoclastic chef and television personality. — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretensions

Noun

Ashiya Brown, the Michigan state director of the voting rights group All Voting Is Local, agreed.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
Engineering, assurance and operations can then retain their specialist decisions and stop rights.

— Mohammed Cherifi, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of rights

Noun

The protests were widely broadcast on state media, in sharp contrast to Assad’s days, when state television peddled disinformation to discredit them, including claims that the protests were staged from faraway studios in Qatar.

— Tala Alrajjal, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
Disruptions that cascade across siloed departments generate redundant labor costs, spoiled cargo commitments, maintenance penalties and compensation claims.

— Abha Dogra, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of claims

Noun

Among his tremendous body of work, Wright designed residences more than any other building type, and though some have been converted into house museums or used for other purposes, the vast majority remain private homes.

— Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
Subscription rights, usage charges, licensing and referral arrangements serve different purposes.

— Rishi Katdare, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of purposes

Noun

Holmes was once an icon in the tech world, serving as a poster child for the limitless ambitions and potential of Silicon Valley.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Lowe’s principal is out for a blue ribbon prize from the school district, and to sabotage his ambitions Doug stages an original musical in secret starring his earnest, talented young students.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of ambitions

Noun

But Paulina’s big plans are upended by the arrival at the school of Ericka (Jasmine Amy Rogers), a light-skinned Black girl from America with a Ghanaian father and a white mother back in Ohio.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 Sep. 2026
But unlike its competitors, Mistral has no plans to slow down development of advanced models.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of plans

Noun

The company’s tech aims to mitigate the man-hours and costs involved in maintaining and securing handheld devices.

— David Moin, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
Its 656 pages are packed with details about characters’ college-application aims, budgeting and investment strategies, and jewelry choices.

— Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of aims

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pretension

pretensions

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“Pretensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretensions. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pretensions

noun

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