1
2
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
a woman full of pretension and pompousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
the pretension of that French restaurant is more than I can bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in purpose
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
has serious pretensions of becoming a writer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretension
And often next to Ed, holding a single malt, there would be an unsmiling writer of great pretension looking down at you from a great height.
—
Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
Many of the early bands’ sound had a preciseness to it and a simultaneous lack of pretension.
—Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
With notes and descriptions similar to the pretension of fine wine, luxury brands take fragrance very seriously.
—Tanya Akim, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Nothing will knock the pretension out of you faster than having to go cover the sewage board hearing and having to type the school lunch menus.
—Samantha Dunn, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretension
Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
Many of the early bands’ sound had a preciseness to it and a simultaneous lack of pretension.
—Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
With notes and descriptions similar to the pretension of fine wine, luxury brands take fragrance very seriously.
—Tanya Akim, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Nothing will knock the pretension out of you faster than having to go cover the sewage board hearing and having to type the school lunch menus.
—Samantha Dunn, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretension
Noun
-
Outside the Al McGuire Center, about 50 people protested Ah Yun's inauguration over Marquette's refusal to recognize a faculty union despite the Catholic church's longtime stance of supporting workers' right to unionize.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
30 July 2025
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Grassroots group Apache Stronghold filed a lawsuit in January 2021 in federal court to stop the land swap, citing religious rights guarantees under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
The sweeping track was inspired in part by Rebecca Solnit’s 2014 collection Men Explain Things to Me, with the titular essay providing a scathing look at male arrogance and how conversations between men and women go awry.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
16 July 2025
-
But nothing in his tenure captures all at once the sense of arrogance, tone-deafness to the concerns of Floridians and obsession with keeping secrets.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2025
Noun
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From our review: Tessa Van den Broeck, a newcomer, plays Julie with zero affectation.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
No fussy affectations, just a deliberate tamping down of his more charismatic qualities.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
What brought them back, in the end, was clarity of purpose.—
Karissa Mitchell,
Essence,
1 Aug. 2025
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Losing a sense of purpose after selling a company Kass and Mike aren't the only entrepreneurs to feel a sense of aimlessness after selling their company.—
Natalie Wu,
CNBC,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Being the world's most valuable company is not a sign of permanent superiority.—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali,
CNBC,
10 July 2025
-
What To Know According to a French intelligence report shared with the Associated Press, Chinese diplomats worked to publicize the downing of Rafale jets during the conflict while promoting the superiority of Chinese fighter aircraft.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
In the case of Brazil, which now faces a potential 50% levy, the president has abandoned the pretense of using his tariff policy to shore up trade deficits.—
Garrett Haake,
NBC news,
10 July 2025
-
Over the past several years, numerous individuals have been arrested after allegedly attempting to enter the property under suspicious or false pretenses, in some cases carrying electronic equipment or claiming to have messages for the president.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
Noun
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After all, performance reviews often come with structured agendas, metrics and formal goals.—
Sally Percy,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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Our goal should be to accurately compare biological age versus chronological age.—
David A. Brenner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Pistoia, Italy Italy is always a great idea, especially for longer stays.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Aug. 2025
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Tom Williams—Getty Images Shortly before Trump called time on the negotiations on Saturday, some GOP Senators aired ideas for alternative ways to advance Trump’s nominees.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretension. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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