Meaning & use
Pretensions
Last updated
Claims, whether justified or not, to a particular status, quality, or ability.
See it in a sentence
The restaurant had pretensions to fine dining despite its plastic chairs.
He gave up his pretensions to being a serious musician after the failed audition.
A note on using this word
"Pretensions" often carries a critical edge, implying that the claim being made is exaggerated or unearned.
Words with a similar meaning
aspirationsaffectations
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Words with an opposite meaning
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