pretension C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas Also spelled pretentions US /prɪˈtɛnʃən/ UK /prɪˈtɛnʃən/ See IPA manual 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... pretentiousnessaffectationostentationclaimaspirationpomposityairs ↔ Opposites modestyhumilityunpretentiousness Word family Derived forms pretensioned Related forms pretendpretensepretentious Etymology AI details 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 External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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 markdown