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Webster 1913 Edition

Pretender

Pre-tend′er

,
Noun.
1.
One who lays claim, or asserts a title (to something); a claimant.
Specifically,
The pretender
(Eng. Hist.)
, the son or the grandson of James II., the heir of the royal family of Stuart, who laid claim to the throne of Great Britain, from which the house was excluded by law.
It is the shallow, unimproved intellects that are the confident
pretenders
to certainty.
Glanvill.
2.
One who pretends, simulates, or feigns.

Webster 1828 Edition

Pretender

PRETEND'ER

,
Noun.
One who makes a show of something not real; one who lays claim to any thing.
1.
In English history, the heir of the royal family of Stuart, who lays claim to the crown of Great Britain, but is excluded by law.

Definition 2024

pretender

pretender

English

Noun

pretender ‎(plural pretenders)

  1. A person who professes beliefs and opinions that they do not hold.
  2. A claimant to an abolished or already occupied throne.

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

Galician

Verb

pretender ‎(first-person singular present pretendo, first-person singular preterite pretendín, past participle pretendido)

  1. to pretend
  2. first-person and third-person singular future subjunctive of pretender
  3. first-person and third-person singular personal infinitive of pretender

Conjugation

Portuguese

Verb

pretender ‎(first-person singular present indicative pretendo, past participle pretendido)

  1. to want
  2. to pretend
  3. to intend
  4. to request
  5. to aspire

Conjugation

Spanish

Verb

pretender ‎(first-person singular present pretendo, first-person singular preterite pretendí, past participle pretendido)

  1. to pretend (claim, allege)
  2. to intend, to aim (for/to)
    Juan pretende tener su casa propia en tres años.‎
    Juan intends to have his own house in three years.
  3. to woo, to court
    Juan pretende a Fernanda porque él siempre le lleva rosas y chocolates‎
    Juan courts Fernanda, so he always gives her roses and chocolates.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of pretender (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)edit data
infinitive pretender
gerund pretendiendo
past participle masculine feminine
singular pretendido pretendida
plural pretendidos pretendidas
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
indicative yo tú
vos		 él/ella
usted		 nosotros
nosotras		 vosotros
vosotras		 ellos/ellas
ustedes
present pretendo pretendestú
pretendésvos 		pretende pretendemos pretendéis pretenden
imperfect pretendía pretendías pretendía pretendíamos pretendíais pretendían
preterite pretendí pretendiste pretendió pretendimos pretendisteis pretendieron
future pretenderé pretenderás pretenderá pretenderemos pretenderéis pretenderán
conditional pretendería pretenderías pretendería pretenderíamos pretenderíais pretenderían
subjunctive yo tú
vos		 él/ella
usted		 nosotros
nosotras		 vosotros
vosotras		 ellos/ellas
ustedes
present pretenda pretendastú
pretendásvos1 		pretenda pretendamos pretendáis pretendan
imperfect
(ra)		 pretendiera pretendieras pretendiera pretendiéramos pretendierais pretendieran
imperfect
(se)		 pretendiese pretendieses pretendiese pretendiésemos pretendieseis pretendiesen
future pretendiere pretendieres pretendiere pretendiéremos pretendiereis pretendieren
imperative — tú
vos		 usted nosotros
nosotras		 vosotros
vosotras		 ustedes
affirmative pretendetú
pretendévos 		pretenda pretendamos pretended pretendan
negative no pretendas no pretenda no pretendamos no pretendáis no pretendan
1Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.
    Selected combined forms of pretenderedit data

These forms are generated automatically and may not be attested. Pronoun usage varies by region.

singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
with infinitive pretender
dative pretenderme pretenderte, pretenderle pretenderle, pretenderse pretendernos pretenderos, pretenderles pretenderles, pretenderse
accusative pretenderme pretenderte, pretenderlo, pretenderla pretenderlo, pretenderla, pretenderse pretendernos pretenderos, pretenderlos, pretenderlas pretenderlos, pretenderlas, pretenderse
with gerund pretendiendo
dative pretendiéndome pretendiéndote, pretendiéndole pretendiéndole, pretendiéndose pretendiéndonos pretendiéndoos, pretendiéndoles pretendiéndoles, pretendiéndose
accusative pretendiéndome pretendiéndote, pretendiéndolo, pretendiéndola pretendiéndolo, pretendiéndola, pretendiéndose pretendiéndonos pretendiéndoos, pretendiéndolos, pretendiéndolas pretendiéndolos, pretendiéndolas, pretendiéndose
with informal second-person singular imperative pretende
dative pretendeme pretendete, pretendele pretendele pretendenos pretendeos, pretendeles pretendeles
accusative pretendeme pretendete, pretendelo, pretendela pretendelo, pretendela pretendenos pretendeos, pretendelos, pretendelas pretendelos, pretendelas
with formal second-person singular imperative pretenda
dative preténdame preténdate, preténdale preténdale, preténdase preténdanos preténdales preténdales, preténdase
accusative preténdame preténdate, preténdalo, preténdala preténdalo, preténdala, preténdase preténdanos preténdalos, preténdalas preténdalos, preténdalas, preténdase
with first-person plural imperative pretendamos
dative not used pretendámosle pretendámosle pretendámonos pretendámosles pretendámosles
accusative not used pretendámoslo, pretendámosla pretendámoslo, pretendámosla pretendámonos pretendámoslos, pretendámoslas pretendámoslos, pretendámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative pretended
dative pretendedme pretendedle pretendedle pretendednos pretendeos, pretendedles pretendedles
accusative pretendedme pretendedlo, pretendedla pretendedlo, pretendedla pretendednos pretendeos, pretendedlos, pretendedlas pretendedlos, pretendedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative pretendan
dative preténdanme preténdante, preténdanle preténdanle, preténdanse preténdanos preténdanles preténdanles, preténdanse
accusative preténdanme preténdante, preténdanlo, preténdanla preténdanlo, preténdanla, preténdanse preténdanos preténdanlos, preténdanlas preténdanlos, preténdanlas, preténdanse

Related terms

Usage notes

  • Pretender is a false friend, and does not mean pretend in the sense of to claim that or act as if something is different from what it actually is. Spanish equivalents are shown in the "Translations" section of the English entry pretend.

Etymology

pretend +‎ -er

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɛndə(ɹ)

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