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Pretension

noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A claim or aspiration to a particular status or quality. countable, uncountable

    "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."

  2. 2
    a false or unsupportable quality wordnet
  3. 3
    Pretentiousness. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    the quality of being pretentious (behaving or speaking in such a manner as to create a false appearance of great importance or worth) wordnet
  5. 5
    the advancing of a claim wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To apply tension to an object before some other event or process.
  2. 2
    To apply tension to reinforcing strands before concrete is poured in.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English pretencioun, pretensioun, from Medieval Latin prētēnsiō.

Etymology 2

From pre- + tension.

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