pretendent

plural pretendents

1. alternativeAlternative form of pretendant.

1. alternativenot comparableAlternative form of pretendant.

   But ſuppoſe the pretendent curteſan bee but a phantaſme, a ſhadow, a meere maſſe of penury, like unto this decayed peece of miſery (pointing at me) what is your rule?

   1641, Iohn Iohnson, The Academy of Love. Describing the Folly of Young-Men, and the Fallacie of Women., London: […] H[umphrey] Bluden, […], →OCLC, page 24

   2 more examples

   [T]he kingdome […] after the death of the foreſaid king Richard […] belonged to Edmond mortimer Earle of march, then liuing, and after his death to Anne Mortimer his ſiſter, marryed to Richard earle of Cãbridge father to this Richard pretendent duke of Yorke, […]

   c. 1595 September (indicated as 1594), R. Doleman [pseudonym; attributed to Robert Persons], “Of the Great and Generall Controuersie and Contention betweene the Two Houses Royal of Lancaster and York, […]”, in A Conference about the Next Succession to the Crowne of Ingland (English Recusant Literature, 1558–1640; 104), Menston, Yorkshire: Scolar Press, published 1972, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 58

   But the Pope being reſolute, and diſpleaſed that the matter was not ſo ſecretly carried, anſwered freely, that the Cardinall of Loraine came to the Councell as Head of one of the pretendent parties, and that he would depute thoſe who were Neutrals, and without intereſts.

   1620, Pietro Soaue Polano [pseudonym; Paolo Sarpi], translated by Nathanael Brent, “Two New Legates Are Created”, in The Historie of the Councel of Trent. […], 2nd edition (1629), London: […] Bonham Norton and Iohn Bill, […], →OCLC, book 7, page 681