Prétention

Prétention, in French, is a feminine noun that denotes a claim, assertion, or demand of a right, advantage, or privilege. It can also refer to an assertion of fact or proposition, or to the act of claiming something. The term derives from the verb prétendre, which means to claim, allege, or profess, and ultimately comes from Latin prae-tendere, “to stretch forth.”

In legal contexts, prétention describes a formal assertion of a right in proceedings, such as a party’s claims or demands presented to a court or administrative body. Examples include pretentions to compensation, to ownership, or to specific rights arising from a contract or statute. The concept is often used with a neutral or technical tone, focusing on the grounds or basis for the claim.

Beyond law, prétention also carries a broader, more everyday sense: a claim or assertion that may reflect ambition, entitlement, or self-assuredness. It can denote aspirational aims or, in a pejorative sense, ostentation and vanity—when someone’s prétentions appear disproportionate to their actual merits. The adjective form prétentieux (pretentious) is commonly used to describe such attitudes.

Related terms include prétendant (one who claims or asserts a right, or, in social terms, a suitor) and prétention(s) in the plural, which often implies a set of asserted grounds or ambitions. The word is closely connected to the verb prétendre, and its usage can range from precise legal language to everyday discourse about claims, ambitions, or displays of status.