PRETENSION


Meaning of PRETENSION in English

/ prɪˈtenʃn; NAmE / noun [ C , usually pl. , U ]

1.

the act of trying to appear more important, intelligent, etc. than you are in order to impress other people :

intellectual pretensions

The play mocks the pretensions of the new middle class.

He spoke without pretension.

2.

pretension (to sth / to doing sth) | pretension (to do sth) a claim to be or to do sth :

a building with no pretensions to architectural merit

The movie makes no pretension to reproduce life.

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WORD ORIGIN

late Middle English : from medieval Latin praetensio(n-) , from praetens- alleged, from the verb praetendere stretch forth, claim, from prae before + tendere stretch.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.