PRETENSION Synonyms: 185 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'pretension' different from other nouns like it?

The words ambition and aspiration are common synonyms of pretension . While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption. // has literary pretensions

Q: When would 'ambition' be a good substitute for 'pretension'?

The words ambition and pretension can be used in similar contexts, but ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire. // driven by ambition

Q: In what contexts can 'aspiration' take the place of 'pretension'?

While in some cases nearly identical to pretension , aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself. // an aspiration to become president someday

pretension

noun

pri-ˈten(t)-shən

Definition of pretension

as in right

an entitlement to something a pretension of long standing to the throne of Hungary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in purpose

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish has serious pretensions of becoming a writer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word pretension different from other nouns like it?

The words ambition and aspiration are common synonyms of pretension. While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

When would ambition be a good substitute for pretension?

The words ambition and pretension can be used in similar contexts, but ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

In what contexts can aspiration take the place of pretension?

While in some cases nearly identical to pretension, aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pretension Anyone can join this adventure, this surge of solidarity through collective prayer for our world, to put a stop to all the pretensions of evil. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2026 The verdict Superbly located between historic and modern Istanbul, The Ritz-Carlton delivers polished service without pretension. — Vicki Power, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026 Martin insisted that it could be done without schmaltz, but the singer was wary of wrecking their reputation with classical pretensions. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 It’s revered as a pretension-free refuge from overpriced and overstimulating Ocean Drive. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pretension

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretension

Noun

Many of his domestic critics have faulted him for prolonging the war in Gaza to appease his far-right allies, and for permitting ultra-Orthodox Jews to forgo military service to appease that sizable religious voter bloc.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Ellison fils’s most high-profile hiring decision was to enlist Bari Weiss—the former Times Opinion editor and founder of the center-right publication The Free Press—as editor-in-chief of CBS News.

— Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of right

Noun

An America that seeks justice with dignity and wisdom, not arrogance and gore.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
These fascinating, illuminating episodes raise the question of whether great fiction requires the kind of single-mindedness and even arrogance that McCarthy cultivated.

— New York Times, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrogance

Noun

But, even then, American socialists walked a fine line—they were considered too radical for the mainstream and a mere bourgeois affectation by committed class revolutionaries.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
With rare exceptions, EV sound is little more than an affectation.

— Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of affectation

Noun

Combined with its co-founders' pledge to donate 80% of their equity and an employee donation matching program, roughly 20% of Anthropic's shares will be dedicated to public purposes, excluding any additional shares added later.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Future deployments Placing the geothermal plant on top of a natural hydrothermal vent was a one-time test for purely research and demonstration purposes, Redd said.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of purpose

Noun

The claim that Ukraine has halted its strikes on energy sites could not be independently verified, but neither Russian officials nor media have reported Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries since the energy truce was announced.

— HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Gilbert shared a post to his Instagram story responding to the outcry from fans of the actor over the weekend, addressing claims that Danny is pro-ICE or supports Shapiro’s politics.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of claim

Noun

Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which sees space superiority as essential to winning future wars, is developing a range of space capabilities as well as a suite of weapons that can attack satellites.

— Kathleen Curlee, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
Credibility is affected deeply by strategic cultural assessments about superiority and inferiority, and notions about when, where, how and for whom the credibility matters.

— Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of superiority

Noun

The application moves away from last-minute stress, unwanted items, and polite pretense, establishing a modern channel for intentional giving.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
And the idea that yakuza were on the side of the common man was rarely anything more than a pretense.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of pretense

Noun

The Biden administration built it back and set a goal of admitting 125,000 refugees during the final year of his term.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
The company currently takes about a day to build a robot, with the goal of reducing the process to approximately one hour next year.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of goal

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“Pretension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretension. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pretension

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