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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.

ance; proceeding from undue claims or self-importance; -- applied to things; as, arrogant pretensions or behavior.

own, unduly, proudly, or presumptuously; to make undue claims to, from vanity or baseless pretensions to right or merit; as, the pope arrogated dominion over kings. He arrogated to himself the right of deciding dogmatically what was orthodox doctrine. Macaulay.

Making undue claims and pretension; prone to arrogance. [R.] Dr. H. More.

Empty boasting; mere brag; pretension.

To make whining pretensions to goodness; to talk with an affectation of religion, philanthropy, etc.; to practice hypocrisy; as, a canting fanatic. The rankest rogue that ever canted. Beau. & Fl.

One who makes hypocritical pretensions to goodness; one who uses canting language. The day when he was a canter and a rebel. Macaulay.

One who prates much in his own favor, and makes unwarrantable pretensions; a quack; an impostor; an empiric; a mountebank.

Of or like a charlatan; making undue pretension; empirical; pretentious; quackish. -- Char`la*tan"ic*al*ly, adv.

Undue pretensions to skill; quackery; wheedling; empiricism.

uggested or directed by self-interest or self-indulgence; as, a cynical man who scoffs at pretensions of integrity; characterized by such opinions; as, cynical views of human nature.

A public disavowal, as of pretensions, claims, opinions, and the like. Burke.

The act of dissembling; a hiding under a false appearance; concealment by feigning; false pretension; hypocrisy. Let love be without dissimulation. Rom. xii. 9. Dissimulation . . . when a man lets fall signs and arguments that he is not that he is. Bacon. Simulation is a pretense of what is not, and dissimulation a con…

A grand personage, or one making pretension to consequence; especially, the head of a college, or one of the fellows at the English universities. [Univ. Cant] "The great dons of wit." Dryden.

The front of a building; esp., the principal front, having some architectural pretensions. Thus a church is said to have its facade unfinished, though the interior may be in use.

A little Greek, or one of small esteem or pretensions. B. Jonson.

One who is extravagant in pretensions, opinions, or manners. Swift.

orn slate, a gray, siliceous stone. -- To haul in one's horns, to withdraw some arrogant pretension. [Colloq.] -- To raise, or lift, the horn (Script.), to exalt one's self; to act arrogantly. "'Gainst them that raised thee dost thou lift thy horn" Milton. -- To take a horn, to take a drink of intoxicating liquor. [L…

One of a sect of Mohammedans who favored the pretensions of the family of Mohammed ben Ismael, of the house Ali.

One who knows everything; hence, one who makes pretension to great knowledge; a wiseacre; -- usually ironical. [Colloq. or R.]