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Not having or making pretenses.

The act of pretending, or laying claim; the act of asserting right or title. The arrogant pretensions of Glengarry contributed to protract the discussion. Macaulay.

Fitted for trial beforehand; experimental. [R.] Sir H. Wotton.

Full of pretension; disposed to lay claim to more than is one's; presuming; assuming. -- Pre*ten"tious*ly, adv. -- Pre*ten"tious*ness, n.

A prefix signifying past, by, beyond, more than; as, preter- mission, a permitting to go by; preternatural, beyond or more than is natural. [Written also præter.]

More than human.

Passed through; antecedent; previous; as, preterient states. [R.]

Old name of the tense also called imperfect.

One whose chief interest is in the past; one who regards the past with most pleasure or favor.

Belonging wholly to the past; passed by. [R.] Things and persons as thoroughly preterite as Romulus or Numa. Lowell.

Same as Preterit.

Same as Preteritness.

A figure by which, in pretending to pass over anything, a summary mention of it is made; as, "I will not say, he is valiant, he is learned, he is just." Called also paraleipsis.

Used only or chiefly in the preterit or past tenses, as certain verbs.

The quality or state of being past. Bentley. Lowell.

Past; as, preterlapsed ages. [R.] Glanvill.

Exceeding the limits of law. [R.]

See Preterition.

To pass by; to omit; to disregard. Bacon.

r miraculous; strange; inexplicable; extraordinary; uncommon; irregular; abnormal; as, a preternatural appearance; a preternatural stillness; a preternatural presentation (in childbirth) or labor. This vile and preternatural temper of mind. South.