pretensions

noun

plural of pretension
1
as in rights
an entitlement to something a pretension of long standing to the throne of Hungary

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish has serious pretensions of becoming a writer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 pretensions The author behind the singular Elizabeth Zott returns with ‘Peck & Peck,’ a sharp, charming satire on the pretensions and perils of literary gatekeepers. — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Their trading volume, political influence and public profiles have expanded — as have their pretensions. — W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 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 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 The genre, with its sanitized storylines and Oscar-baiting pretensions, seems fundamentally at odds with the iconoclastic chef and television personality. — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 Like Paul Schrader’s 1982 version of the latter, this is an upscale genre piece whose pretensions towards Art are upfront, starting with a quotation from no less than Schopenhauer. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026 At 61, unaligned to any party faction and with no pretensions to the highest office, the Scot would represent little threat to Burnham. — Ian King, CNBC, 15 July 2026 The British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, who converted to Christianity late in his life, pointed out that Jesus’s entire ministry was directed against the pretensions of earthly power. — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretensions
  1. rights
  2. goals
  3. claims
  4. purposes
  5. pretenses
  6. ambitions
  7. plans
  8. aims
Noun
  • These Arab citizens have all the rights of any other citizen.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Kappa Alpha won the rights to this detour by having the best football game attendance of any student organization last season.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of rights
Noun
  • The Sun enters your sign today, beginning your season and putting greater emphasis on your goals, identity, presence, and personal direction.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Knuble, playing his second career game, scored his first two goals in front of his father, former NHL forward Mike Knuble, who played 1,068 games with five teams.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of goals
Noun
  • The company reincorporated from Delaware to Texas in 2024, and its charter pushes shareholder claims into mandatory arbitration and limits derivative suits to investors holding at least 3% of the stock—a stake worth tens of billions of dollars.
    — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The duplicate-ballot error in Tulare last week quickly went viral in conservative social media circles, with claims that something nefarious was going on in the middle of a House battleground district.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of claims
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
  • Preliminary findings indicate Wilcher accessed it on multiple occasions for non-law enforcement purposes, the GBI said.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of purposes
Noun
  • Shirley has since visited other states in the US under similar pretenses, showing up unannounced to grocery stores and hospice centers in search of evidence of fraud.
    — Mia Sato, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Conference expansion has shattered pretenses to regional coherence.
    — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of pretenses
Noun
  • Tonight’s Venus cazimi could illuminate which opportunities, ambitions, or forms of recognition genuinely appeal to you now.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • India is also grappling with similar issues that pose a threat to its ambitions to host the whole world’s data.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambitions
Noun
  • Luigi Carbone, Pope Leo XIV's physician, said the pontiff's recovery from lung cancer surgery won't stop plans for a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru involving a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The company behind Claude AI announced plans to commit 5% of its shares to a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, subject to stockholder approval.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of plans
Noun
  • The cynic would say their aims are financial, and the outcomes in education are merely incidental to that end.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But the uneven nature of the film, its plotting, its character motivations, and its aims only become bigger and bloodier as the film winds on.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of aims

Browse Nearby Words

pretension
pretensions
pretentious
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Cite this Entry

“Pretensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretensions. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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