Meanings
pretension1
plural pretensions · alternative obsolete prætension
- countableuncountableA claim or aspiration to a particular status or quality.
As a foreign stamp gazette it is nowhere. An article on Stamp Collecting, by J. E. Gray, “reprinted from one of his books,” and a catalogue of stamps constitute its sole attraction. We are surprised to find such sounding pretentions so poorly supported.
1872, “Reviews of Postal Publications”, in The Stamp-Collector's Magazine, volume 10, page 110 - countableuncountablePretentiousness.
pretension2
present singular third person pretensions · participle present pretensioning · participle past pretensioned · past pretensioned
- To apply tension to an object before some other event or process.
- businessTo apply tension to reinforcing strands before concrete is poured in.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe quality of being pretentious (behaving or speaking in such a manner as to create a false appearance of great importance or worth)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
pretension · noun
- Medieval Latinprētēnsiō
- Middle Englishpretencioun
- Englishpretension
From Middle English pretencioun, pretensioun, from Medieval Latin prētēnsiō.
More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →pretension · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*per-
- Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
- Proto-Italic*prai
- Proto-Italic*prai-
- Latinprae-
- Middle Englishpre-
- Englishpre-
- Proto-Indo-European*ten-
- Proto-Indo-European*tend-
- Proto-Indo-European*téndeti
- Proto-Italic*tendō
- Latintendō
- Latintēnsiō
- Middle Frenchtension
- Englishtension
- Englishpretension
Translations
Bulgarian претенция, претенциозност
- претенция (pretencija)claim
- претенциозност (pretencioznost)pretentiousness
Dutch pretentie, aanmatiging
- pretentieclaim
- aanmatigingpretentiousness
French prétention, prétention
- prétentionclaim
- prétentionpretentiousness
Irish móiréis
- móiréispretentiousness
Portuguese pretensão
- pretensãoclaim
Romanian pretenție, pretențiozitate
- pretențieclaim
- pretențiozitatepretentiousness
Russian претензия, притязание
- претензия (pretenzija)claim
- притязание (pritjazanije)claim
Spanish pretensión, pretención
- pretensiónclaim
- pretenciónpretentiousness
Swedish choser, sjåser
- choserclaim
- sjåserclaim
- choserpretentiousness
- sjåserpretentiousness
Ukrainian прете́нзія
- прете́нзія (preténzija)claim
Cite this entry
pretension. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pretension
“pretension.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pretension. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pretension,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pretension.
Source: pretension on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.