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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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 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretensions

Noun

The proliferation of earlier kickoffs nationwide due to TV media rights deals adds a complex layer to this early-season situation.

— Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
So this Labor Day, let’s celebrate Florida’s commitment to workers’ rights.

— Mark Mix, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of rights

Noun

McDavid’s isolated stats show his line surrendered more goals but still delivered a handsome 54 percent share.

— Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Boise’s City Council on Tuesday denied an appeal from the Cathedral of the Rockies seeking to pave a parking area adjacent to its North End church, dealing a blow to an application that pit arguments of religious freedom against municipal goals.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of goals

Noun

The president has opposed such efforts to constrain AI and claims that doing so could cause China to eclipse America on the technology.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
Policies renew, claims get handled, and leadership moves on to more immediate financial priorities.

— Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of claims

Noun

Whether or not the medication is truly effective for antiaging purposes remains to be seen, but the finding highlights how the burgeoning technology could make the drug discovery process easier, or at least faster.

— Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026
This was intended to enable him to build his own network for intelligence purposes, the statement said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of purposes

Noun

The strategic mistake of invading Iraq on false pretenses was then compounded by tactical errors.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Johnson created the story of Nancy (Emilia Jones), who is not a girlfriend, but a crush who Bourdain foolhardily (and under false pretenses) follows to Provincetown after not getting a writing fellowship.

— Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of pretenses

Noun

That was a valuable lesson as the previous season, silly errors and lapses in concentration led to the side conceding goals that hamstrung their title ambitions.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
While Chinese investment flows are growing, the US still accounts for 44% of Mubadala’s $385 billion of assets under management and US tech firms have become crucial to the UAE’s ambitions to be a global AI leader.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of ambitions

Noun

As a result, plans need to be made to deal with the logistics of several celestial vehicles taxiing and docking at the port and eventually at a permanent moon settlement.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026
Pricing plans, rebate information and outage status were flagged as the most consistently difficult content for customers to navigate across every utility digital channel studied.

— Amber Mullaney, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of plans

Noun

Districts would no longer need to be compact, contiguous or required to respect geographic boundaries, allowing them to be drawn nearly any way our legislature finds convenient for its political aims.

— Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
What was your way in there and why was that subject specifically something that felt so pertinent to your larger aims?

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 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 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of pretensions

noun

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