pretension

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

Also spelled pretentions

US /prɪˈtɛnʃən/ UK /prɪˈtɛnʃən/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a claim or assertion of importance; pretentious display

His writing was admirably free of pretension.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a claim or assertion of... pretentiousness affectation ostentation claim aspiration pomposity airs

Opposites

modesty humilityunpretentiousness

Word family

Derived forms pretensioned

Related forms pretend pretense pretentious

Etymology

From Medieval Latin praetensio, from Latin praetendere ('to stretch forth, allege'), from prae- ('before') + tendere ('to stretch').

praetendere Latin tendere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

# pretension

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** prɪˈtɛnʃən
**IPA (UK):** prɪˈtɛnʃən

## Meanings
1. a claim or assertion of importance; pretentious display

## Examples
- His writing was admirably free of pretension.

## Synonyms
- pretentiousness
- affectation
- ostentation
- claim
- aspiration
- pomposity
- airs

## Antonyms
- modesty
- humility
- unpretentiousness

## Derived Forms
- pretensioned

## Related Forms
- pretend
- pretense
- pretentious

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: praetendere
- Root: tendere

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin praetensio, from Latin praetendere ('to stretch forth, allege'), from prae- ('before') + tendere ('to stretch').

## AI Etymology
Pretension is from Medieval Latin praetensio, from Latin praetendere ('to stretch forth, allege'), from prae- ('before') + tendere ('to stretch'). Important recorded forms include praetendere (Latin) and tendere (Latin). Morphologically, the word preserves a built structure whose named elements carry the historical sense into English. The modern sense remains close to that composition, with the parts narrowing into a single lexical item. In current use it covers a claim or assertion of importance; pretentious display. The wider family includes derived forms such as pretensioned and related words such as pretend, pretense, and pretentious.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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pretension

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