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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as in goals

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

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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

Its winner, whether filmmaker or rights holder, will give the platform an exclusive license to show the film for a limited period.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Citizenship-for-investment programs go further, offering more rights and a passport that opens doors abroad.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of rights

Noun

Academic success and preparing students for their future is always top-of-mind, Folk said when asked about his goals for the school.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
The deployment has demonstrated how battery trains can support decarbonization goals while maintaining reliable passenger operations.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of goals

Noun

But OpenAI’s reputation, among mathematicians, for bold claims and little transparency is causing considerable skepticism.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Oct. 2026
Some involve the same voting-by-an-alien offense at issue in Cox’s case, while others include separate charges involving voter registration, false claims of citizenship or the naturalization process.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of claims

Noun

No student information is to be disclosed for immigration enforcement purposes without a court order or subpoena, according to state law.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Other independents in the Senate, including Maine's Angus King on the moderate end and Vermont's Bernie Sanders on the left, caucus with Democrats for organizational purposes and committee assignments.

— NICHOLAS INGRAM, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of purposes

Noun

Kushner has also openly talked of using Affinity and its stake in Phoenix to blur commercial and political ambitions in the Middle East.

— Allegra Goodwin, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
However, Ocasio-Cortez’s left-wing policies on the oil industry will hurt her presidential ambitions in states such as Pennsylvania, Concha said.

— Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambitions

Noun

Construction originally began back in 2006 as part of Qatar's ambitious plans to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
That's according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly and cautioned the plans could shift.

— NICHOLAS INGRAM, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of plans

Noun

Naomi’s work clashes with both men’s professional aims, of course, but the real power of the story lies in its last third, which is set two and a half decades into the future and provides an unusual vision of climate change.

— Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
My aims are to improve our quality of life on everything from affordability to traffic to public safety; to restore fiscal sanity to our public finances; and to end the brazen self-dealing that has become business as usual in local government.

— Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of aims

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pretensions

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“Pretensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretensions. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pretensions

noun

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