pretender

American  

[pri-ten-der] / prɪˈtɛn dər /

noun

1. a person who pretends, especially for a dishonest purpose.

2. an aspirant or claimant (often followed byto ).

   a pretender to the throne.

3. a person who makes unjustified or false claims, statements, etc., as about personal status, abilities, intentions, or the like.

   a pretender to literary genius.

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pretender British  

/ prɪˈtɛndə /

noun

1. a person who pretends or makes false allegations

2. a person who mounts a claim, as to a throne or title

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Etymology

Origin of pretender

First recorded in 1585–95; pretend + -er ¹

Example Sentences

“This is a severe cut. This might be the most severe cut in the tournament when you think about it. Like going from 32 to 16. Like there’s not any pretenders in the Sweet 16.”

From Washington Times

Fraud pretenders of Western Conference had taken at least a point in 16 consecutive games against Chicago before losing to Blackhawks in regulation Thursday.

From Seattle Times

Former President Donald Trump is America's first "pretender to the presidency."

From Salon

As banking institutions continue to invest heavily in mobile platforms, you’ll find separation between the contenders and pretenders by looking at their websites.

From Seattle Times

One of the unsolved mysteries of El Palo Alto’s history is that the tree might be a pretender of sorts.

From Seattle Times