Definition of "pretension"

pretension¹

noun
countable and uncountable, plural pretensions
1. A claim or aspiration to a particular status or quality.
  Quotations
  As a foreign stamp gazette it is nowhere. An article on Stamp Collecting, by J. E. Gray, “reprinted from one of his books,” and a catalogue of stamps constitute its sole attraction. We are surprised to find such sounding pretentions so poorly supported.
  1872, “Reviews of Postal Publications”, in The Stamp-Collector's Magazine, volume 10, page 110
2. Pretentiousness.

pretension²

verb
third-person singular simple present pretensions, present participle pretensioning, simple past and past participle pretensioned
1. To apply tension to an object before some other event or process.
2. (construction) To apply tension to reinforcing strands before concrete is poured in.