Spanish Conversation · Level 148
30 words
Spanish word
pretensión
Pronunciation
IPA/pɾetenˈsjon/
Meaning
- feminine nounambition
Example
Su pretensión es ser presidente.
His ambition is to be president.
More examples
Él renunció a su pretensión de ser director general.
He gave up his ambition to be general manager.
Core concept
Crown hovering above a person's outstretched hand.
Common phrases
tener la pretensión de
have the ambition to
la pretensión de
the ambition to
renunciar a la pretensión de
give up the ambition to
Similar words
ambición: Strong, driving desire for great success, power, or high status.
aspiración: Deep wish to achieve a particular goal or position.
objetivo: Specific, concrete target or goal set for achievement.
intención: Deliberate plan or purpose to do something.
Definition in Spanish
Deseo ambicioso de alcanzar una posición, logro o ventaja, a menudo con intención de reclamar mérito o aparentar mayor estatus.
Word origin
Pretensión comes from Latin pretensio, originally 'a stretching forth' from pretendere 'to stretch', and this idea of stretching forward developed into making claims or pursuing higher rank.
Usage tips
- Common collocations are tener pretensiones or sus pretensiones, and the phrase often carries a critical tone implying vanity or an unjustified claim rather than a simple goal.
Other meanings
- claimnoun
- demandnoun
- vanitynoun
Opposites
- humildadhumilitynoun
Related words
- pretenderclaimverb
- pretenciosopretentiousadjective