ˈlɑːdʒnəs ˈpɹiːtɛns pɹɪˈtɛns ˈpɹiːtɛns a false or unsupportable quality the quality of being pretentious (behaving or speaking in such a manner as to create a false appearance of great importance or worth) the advancing of a claim his pretension to the crown the town still puts forward pretensions as a famous resort