pretension

From Middle English pretencioun, pretensioun, from Medieval Latin prētēnsiō.

• prætension (obsolete)

pretension (countable and uncountable, plural pretensions)

1. A claim or aspiration to a particular status or quality.
   • 1872, “Reviews of Postal Publications”, in The Stamp-Collector's Magazine, volume 10, page 110:

     As a foreign stamp gazette it is nowhere. An article on Stamp Collecting, by J. E. Gray, “reprinted from one of his books,” and a catalogue of stamps constitute its sole attraction. We are surprised to find such sounding pretentions so poorly supported.

2. Pretentiousness.

• pretense
• pretentious

pre- +‎ tension

pretension (third-person singular simple present pretensions, present participle pretensioning, simple past and past participle pretensioned)

1. To apply tension to an object before some other event or process.
2. (construction) To apply tension to reinforcing strands before concrete is poured in.

   Coordinate term: posttension

• interpones, peritenons, presention, tin openers, tin-openers