Synonyms for pretension
Most common
affectation pomposity pretentiousness largeness pretext pretense US
Definitions
- n. 1
A claim or aspiration to a particular status or quality.
Related words
- Word family
- pretense pretentious
Forms
- Plural
- pretensions → pretentiousnesses, pomposities, affectations, largenesses…
Choose the right word
A pretension is a claim that is or may be contested; the word is now commonly used in an unfavorable sense.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- pretentiousness His pretentiousness is irritating.
- pretext You're just looking for a pretext to get rid of me.
- pretense He made a pretense of knowing my father.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| pretension | steady | |
| affectation | steady | |
| pomposity | steady | |
| pretentiousness | falling | |
| largeness | steady | |
| pretext | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- show1, airs1
- 5 letters
- claim1
- 6 letters
- demand2
- 7 letters
- pretext2
- 8 letters
- pretense2, pretence
- 9 letters
- pomposity4, largeness2
- 11 letters
- affectation4, pompousness3
- 15 letters
- pretentiousness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (demand2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- prétention
- Español
- pretensión