/pri ten"deuhr/ , n.
1. a person who pretends, esp. for a dishonest purpose.
2. an aspirant or claimant (often fol. by to ): a pretender to the throne.
3. a person who makes unjustified or false claims, statements, etc., as about personal status, abilities, intentions, or the like: a pretender to literary genius.
[ 1585-95; PRETEND + -ER 1 ]