- a person who pretends, especially for a dishonest purpose.
- an aspirant or claimant (often followed by to): a pretender to the throne.
- a person who makes unjustified or false claims, statements, etc., as about personal status, abilities, intentions, or the like: a pretender to literary genius.
- a person who pretends or makes false allegations
- a person who mounts a claim, as to a throne or title
