From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpretensionpre‧ten‧sion /prɪˈtenʃən/ noun [countable usually plural, uncountable] 1 PRETENDan attempt to seem more important, more intelligent, or of a higher class than you really arepretension to Lilith resented Adam’s pretensions to superiority. the humbleness and lack of pretension of Jordan’s cafe2 a claim to be or do somethingpretension(s) to be something The group don’t have any pretensions to be pop stars.pretension to a large village with pretensions to the status of a small town
Examples from the Corpus
pretension• Despite the networks' accomplishments and pretensions, even their news departments tend to operate as much along show-business as educational lines.• However, its high art pretensions are hinted at by the epic tone of its title.• a neighborhood with middle-class pretensions• His pretensions, it seems, are based on economic advantage.• There were no intellectual points to be scored, no intense undergraduate conversations, no pretensions.• Part of his charm lies in his complete lack of pretension.• The rustic music they created has a timeless appeal, both in its deceptive simplicity and total lack of pretension.• Amy had always had social pretensions.lack of pretension• The food is honest and served up with an abundance of good will and lack of pretension.• The rustic music they created has a timeless appeal, both in its deceptive simplicity and total lack of pretension.pretension(s) to be something• Brookside, as in its earliest days, had pretensions to be at the cutting edge of a social issue. 