pretenders

Pretenders are individuals who present themselves as someone or something they are not, or who assert a right, status, or claim they do not actually possess. The term derives from Latin praetendere, meaning to lay claim to or to pretend. In everyday use, a pretender may deceive others by adopting a false identity, role, or credentials to gain advantage, protection, or favor. It is distinct from impostor, who commits fraud, and from a poseur, who adopts a fashionable persona without a formal claim or deception in mind.

Historically, the term is often used in political contexts to describe claimants to thrones or offices who are not presently in power. In Britain, “the Pretenders” refers to dynastic claimants during the Jacobite era, notably the Old Pretenders and the Young Pretenders, who asserted rights to the throne in opposition to the ruling line. Similar dynastic disputes produced other pretenders in different monarchies and periods, serving as focal points for factional conflict and national identity.

Beyond politics, pretenders appear in literature, film, and everyday life as characters or individuals who misrepresent themselves, raising questions about authenticity and identity. Legal and ethical frameworks address harmful pretenders through laws against impersonation and fraud. Social science discusses pretender behavior as a form of impression management or role adoption, sometimes linked to insecurity, status-seeking, or manipulation.

The Pretenders is also the name of a rock band formed in 1978 by Chrissie Hynde. Emerging from the late 1970s British punk and new wave scene, the group is known for hits such as Brass in Pocket and Back on the Chain Gang, contributing to the broader landscape of alternative rock. The name, as a proper noun, should not be confused with the common noun’s meaning.