- plural of pretension.
pretensions
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And Ms. Bioh has the girls’ attitudes to her take an implausibly abrupt turn from sycophancy to snickering mockery when Ericka exposes the hollowness of her pretensions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
In Britain, the “angry young men” movement led by John Osborne in the theater was underway, and the social pretensions and expertly crafted witticisms of Coward’s comedies had fallen out of fashion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
In short, it was perfect for an adolescent boy of burgeoning but unformed pretensions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
In 1956, shortly before his death, Mencken went even further; “American journalism is predominantly paltry and worthless. Its pretensions are enormous, but its achievements are insignificant.”
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2025
“Why pretensions? Do you think I could not become an artist?”
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
