Pretensão

Pretensão is a Portuguese noun that refers to the act of claiming or asserting something, as well as to the claim itself or the aim someone has. It derives from the verb pretender and, in linguistic terms, can indicate different nuances depending on context.

In legal and formal usage, pretensão denotes a right or entitlement that a person seeks to establish or defend in a process. It is the pleito or claim brought before a court, such as the pretensão de indenização (claim for indemnification) or a pretensão de reconhecimento de direito. In this sense, pretensão is about a formal objective the person intends to obtain or prove.

In a more general or everyday sense, pretensão expresses aspiration, desire, or ambition. For example, dizer que alguém tem pretensões políticas or pretensões de grandeza indicates that the person aspires to hold a higher office or a status beyond what is currently held. This use can carry neutral or positive connotations when describing legitimate goals, or negative when suggesting overestimation or vanity.

In addition, pretensão can have a pejorative nuance, referring to pretentiousness or arrogance—when someone presents themselves as more important or capable than they actually are. Expressions like ter pretensões to be something or alguém com pretensões to describe this attitude are common.

Prepositions: pretensão a refers to an entitlement to something; pretensão de often introduces an aim or intended action. While related terms include reivindicação (claim) and ambição (ambition).

See also: reivindicação, pleito, ambição, vaidade.