pretensions

Meanings

• Noun

  The act of making false or exaggerated claims, especially about one's wealth, abilities, or achievements.

  - "His pretensions to being a great painter were exposed when his works were exhibited."
  - "Despite her pretensions to the contrary, she was unable to hide her excitement."

• Noun

  A claim or statement, especially an unjustified or exaggerated one.

  - "The politician's pretensions about reducing taxes were met with skepticism."
  - "His pretensions of innocence were not convincing."

---

Rhymes

Words rhyming with pretensions
assentions , sentiments , mentions

---

Variants

List of all variants of pretensions that leads to same result
pretension , pretensioned , pretensioning , pretensions , pretensionless

---

Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old French 'pretention', from 'pretendre' meaning 'to claim, demand, or offer'.

---

Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The word 'pretensions' first appeared in English in the late 15th century.

2. In French, the verb 'pretendre' means both 'to claim' and 'to pretend'.

3. The term 'pretentious' is often used to describe someone who has pretensions, but in a negative way.

---

Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. False pride: Pretensions can be seen as a form of false pride, as individuals make claims about themselves that may not be grounded in reality.

2. Social climbing: Pretensions can also be associated with social climbing, as individuals try to present themselves as belonging to a higher social class than they actually do.

---

Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature, pretensions are often used to explore themes of deception, dishonesty, and the human desire to present oneself in a certain way. For example, in Jane Austen's novel 'Mansfield Park', the character Edmund Bertram is criticized for his pretensions to being a scholar, as his knowledge is found to be superficial.

How to Memorize "pretensions"

1. visualize
   

   - Visualize a person making grand claims about themselves, but with no evidence to back them up.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'pretensions' with the idea of someone trying to present themselves in a better light than they really are.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Remember the phrase 'Pretending to be something you're not' to help remember the meaning of the word.

---

Memorize "pretensions" using Dictozo

The best and recommended way to memorize pretensions is, by using Dictozo. Just save the word in Dictozo extension and let the app handle the rest. It enhances the memorization process in two ways:

1. Highlighting:

   Whenever users encounters the saved word on a webpage, Dictozo highlights it, drawing the user's attention and reinforcing memorization.
2. Periodic Reminders:

   Dictozo will send you periodic reminders to remind you the saved word, it will ask you quiz. These reminders could be in the form of notifications or emails, prompting users to recall and reinforce their knowledge.