pretension 
Another house 
Of less pretension did he buy betimes, 
The villa, meant for jaunts and jollity. 
Browning, Ring and Book, I. 57. 
2. Hence, a claim; an alleged or assumed right, 
not necessarily false. 
The courtier, the trader, and the scholar should all have 
an equal pretension to the denomination of a gentleman. 
Steele, Taller, No. 207. 
Let us from this moment give up all pretensions to gen- 
tility. (Joldsmith, Vicar, ill. 
Mind, I give up all my claim I make no pretensions to 
anything in the world. Sheridan, The Rivals, v. 3. 
3f. A false representation ; a pretext; a sham. 
This was but an Invention and pretension given out by 
the Spaniards. Bacon, War with Spain. 
He so much abhorr'd artifice and cunning that he had 
prejudice to all concealments and pretensions. 
Bp. Fell, Hammond, p. 130. 
4. An assertion ; a proposition. 
Miss Bird . . . declares all the viands of Japan to be 
uneatable a staggering pretension. 
R. L. Stevenson, The Foreigner at Home. 
Arms of pretension, In her. See arms, 7 (<). - Syn. 1 
and 3. Pretext, etc. See pretense. 
pretentativet (pre-ten'ta-tiv), a. [< L. prteteit- 
tatus, pp. of prxtentare, 'try beforehand. < prte, 
before, + tentare, try: see tempt.] Making 
previous trial ; attempting to try or test before- 
hand. 
This is but an exploratory and pretentative purpose be- 
tween us ; about the form whereof, and the matter, we 
shall consult tomorrow. Sir H. Wotton, Rellqulie, p. 507. 
pretentiont, An obsolete form of pretension. 
pretentious (pre-ten'shus), a. [< F. pretentieux, 
(pre'tention, pretension: see pretension.] 1. 
Pretended; unfounded; false. 
On the other hand, Mr. Chappell now says that Mallet, 
after Thomson's death, " put In a pretentious claim [to be 
the author of "Rule Britannia''!, against all evidence." 
If.and Q., 7th ser., II. 132. 
2. Pull of pretension, or claims to greater ex- 
cellence orimportance than the truth warrants ; 
attempting to pass for more than the actual 
worth or importance ; making an exaggerated 
outward show. 
No pretenliiiu* work, from so great a pen, has less of the 
spirit of grace and comeliness. 
E. C. Stedmau, Viet. Poets, p. 33B. 
Most of the contributors to those yearly volumes, which 
took up such pretentious positions on the centre table, 
have shrunk into entire oblivion. 
0. W. Holmes, A Mortal Antipathy, p. 7. 
Pretentious poverty 
At its wits' end to keep appearance up. 
Browning, King and Book, I. 07. 
pretentiously (pre-ten'shus-li), adv. In a pre- 
tentious manner. 
pretentiousness (pre-teu'shus-nes), n. The 
quality of being pretentious ; undue assump- 
tion of excellence, importance, or dignity. 
pretert, praetert (pre'ter), a. and n. [(preter-, 
prefix.] I. a. Past. 
I had a crotchet in my head here to have given the 
rallies to my pen, . . . and commented and paralogized 
on their condition in the present and in the preter tense. 
Nashe, Lenten Stutte (Harl. Misc., VI. 153). 
II. . The past ; past time. 
To come, when Micah wrote this, and in the future : but 
come, when St. Matthew cited it, and in the prater 
"When Jesus was born at Bethlehem." But future and 
prater both are in time, so this His birth In time. 
Bp. Andretcs, Sermons, I. 162. (Danes.') 
preter-. [Also prieter-; < L. prater-, prefix, 
prater, adv. and prep., past, by, beyond, be- 
fore, < prie, before, -I- demonstr. suffix -ter.] A 
prefix of Latin origin, meaning 'beyond,' 'over,' 
or 'by' in space or time, 'more than' in quan- 
tity or degree. 
pretercanine (pre-ter-ka-nin'), . [(prefer- + 
canine.] More than canine. [Rare.] 
A great dog . . . passed me, however, quietly enough ; 
not staying to look up, with strange pretercanine eyes, in 
my face, as I half expected It would. 
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, xii. 
preterhuman (pre-ter-hu'man), a. [< preter- 
+ human.] More than human; beyond what 
is human. Also prieter human. 
All are essentially anthropomorphic, and cannot be re- 
garded as supernatural or superhuman beings, but only 
praUrrhuman. The Academy, Jan. 28, 1888, p. 55. 
preterient (pre-te'ri-ent), a. [< ~L.prxtericn ( t-)*, 
P^pr. of pnettr'ire, go 'by, go past: see preterit. ] 
Going before; preceding; previous. 
He told them his soul had passed through several ante- 
cedent forms, . . . with the faculty of remembering all 
the actions of its praterient states. Observer, No. 8. 
preter-imperfect (pre'ter-im-per'fekt), . In 
limin., a tense expressing time not perfectly 
past; the past imperfect: generally called sim- 
ply imperfect. [Little used.] 
4713 
preterist (pret'e-rist), n. and a. [< preter- + 
-ist.] I. n. 1. 't)ne whose chief interest is in 
the past ; one who has regard principally to the 
past. 2. In theol., one who believes that the 
prophecies of the Apocalypse have already been 
nearly or entirely fulfilled. 
H. a. Relating to the preterists or their 
views. 
preterit, preterite (pret'e-rit), a. and n. [Also 
sometimes prseterite ; < ME. preterit, < OP. pre- 
terit, P. preterit = Pr. preterit = Sp. preterite = 
Pg. It. preterito, < L. prsterittis, gone by, past, 
past and gone (neut. preeteritum, sc. tempus, in 
gram, the past or preterit tense), pp. of pr- 
terire, go by, go past, <.prxter, before, beyond, 
+ ire, go.] I. a. 1. Bygone; past. 
Alle the Infynyt spaces of tymes preteritz and futures. 
Chaucer, Boethlus, v. prose 8. 
The pneterite and present dignity comprised in being 
a "widow well left" . . . made a flattering and concilia- 
tory view of the future. 
Georg* <"', Mill on the Floss, L 12. 
Without leaving your elbow-chair, you shall go back 
with me thirty years, which will bring you among things 
and persons as thoroughly preterite as Romulus or N uina. 
Lowell, Fireside Travels, p. 15. 
2. In gram., expressing past time; past: ap- 
plied especially to the tense which expresses 
past action or existence simply, without fur- 
ther implication as to continuousuess, etc.: 
as, wrote is the preterit tense of write. 
II. a. If. Time past; the past. 
She wepeth the tyme that she hath wasted, 
Compleynlng of the preterit 
And the present that not alilt. 
Rom. of the Rose, I 5011. 
2. In gram., the tense which signifies past 
time, or which expresses action or being as 
simply past or finished. Abbreviated pret. 
preteriteness, . See preteritness. 
preteritial (pret-e-rish'al), . [< preterit + 
-ia/.J In biol., having been active, but no long- 
er being so: as, preteritial force applied in 
biology to what is termed latent force or equi- 
librated energy. 
preterition (pret-e-rish'on), w. [Also prieteri- 
tion ; = F. prtterition =" Pr. 8p. pretericion = 
Pg. pretericSo = It. preterizione, < LL. prxteri- 
tio(ii-), a passing over, an omission, < prssterire, 
pp. prseteritus, go by, go past : see preterit.'] 1. 
The act of passing over or by, or the state of 
being passed over or by. 
He [Calvin] only held that God's purpose was indeed to 
deny grace to some, by way of preterition, or rather non- 
election. Evelyn, True Religion, II. 252. 
The Israelites were never to eat the paschal lamb but 
they were recalled to the memory of that saving preteri- 
tion of the angel. Bp. Halt. 
Specifically 2. In Calvinistic theol., the doc- 
trine that God, having elected to everlasting 
life such as should be saved, passed over the 
others. 3. In rhet., a figure by which a speak- 
er, in pretending to pass over anything, makes 
a summary mention of it: as, "I will not say 
he is valiant, he is learned, he is just." Also 
pretermission. 4. In law, the passing over by 
a testator of one of his heirs otherwise entitled 
to a portion. 
A reform effected by Justinian by his 115th Novel ought 
not to pass unnoticed ; for it rendered superfluous all the 
old rules about disherison and praterition of a testator's 
children. Encyc. Brit., XX. 714. 
preteritive (pre-ter'i-tiv), a. [< preterit + -ice.] 
In gram., expressing past time; also, limited 
to past tenses. 
preteritness (pret'e-rit-nes), n. The state of 
being past or bygone. Also preteriteness. 
We cannot conceive a prteteriteness (If I may say so) still 
backwards in inflnitum that never was present, as we can 
an endless futurity that never will be present. 
Benttey, Sermons, vL 
A valley in the moon could scarce have been lonelier, 
could scarce have suggested more strongly the feeling of 
preteriteness and extinction. 
Lowell, Fireside Travels, p. 20ft 
preteritopresential (pre - ter'i - to - pre - zen '- 
shal), a. [< XL. i>r&teritopriesen(t-)s, preterit- 
present (< L. prseteritus, preterit, + preesen(t-)s, 
present), + -ial.] Same as preterit-present. 
n'lii/nei/, Life and Growth of Lang., p. 93. 
preterit-present (pret'e-rit-prez'ent), a. and n. 
I. a. Combining preterit form with present 
meaning: said of certain Germanic verbs, as 
mail, cini. 
II. . A verb combining preterit form with 
present meaning. 
preterlapsed (pre-ter-lapst'), a. [< L. pneter- 
Inpunx, pp. afprcferioK glide or flow by, < prse- 
ter, by. -I- Uibi. glide, flow, lapse : see lapse.] 
Preterit; past; bygone. [Rare.] 
preternaturalism 
We look with a superstitious reverence upon the ac- 
counts of preterlapsed ages. 
Ulanrillr, Vanity of Dogmatizing, zv. 
preterlegal (pre-ter-le'gal), a. [< preter- + le- 
gal.] Exceeding the limits of law ; not legal. 
[Rare.] 
I expected some evil customs preterlegal. and abuses 
personal, had been to be removed. JSilnm Batililre. 
preterminablet, . [ME. pretermytutble; ap- 
par. taken as equiv. to interminable; < L. prse, 
before, + LL. 'terminabilis, terminable: sew 
terminable.] Eternal. 
Thou quytej vchon as hys desserte, 
Thou hy ,;i- kyng ay pretermit nablr. 
Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), I. ;,!>:.. 
pretermission (pre-ter-mish'on), M. [= F. pre- 
termission = Sp. pretermision "= Pg. pretermis- 
s&o = It. pretermissione, < L. prfetermissio(n-), 
an omission, a passing over,(praetermittere, pp. 
frfetermixiiux, let pass, neglect: see pretermit.] 
. The act of passing by ; an omission. 
A foul pretermission in the Author of this, whether Story 
or Fable : himself wearle, as seems, of his own tedious 
Tale. Milton, Hist. Eng., I. 
2. In rhet., same as itreteritiou, 3. 
pretermit (pre-ter-mit'), t. t.; pret. and pp. 
irretermittefl, ppr. pretermitting. [< OF. preter- 
metre, pretermcttre = Sp. preter mitir = Pg. prc- 
termittir = It. pretermettere, < L. prtetermitterr, 
pp. prstermissus, pass by, let pass, neglect, < 
preeter, before, beyond, + mittere, send, let go: 
see mission.] If. To let pass ; permit to go by 
unused or not turned to account. 
The Mariners, seeing a flt gale of winde fur their pur- 
pose, wished Capnio to make no delayer, least (if they prc- 
tennitted this good Weather) they might stay long ere they 
had such a falre Winde. Greene, 1'andosto. 
Such an one as keeps the watch of his Ood, and prefer- 
mitt DO day without the foretnentloned duties, shall sel- 
dom or never fall into any foul slough. 
Rev. S. Ward, Sermons, p. 29. 
2. To omit; leave unnoticed or unmentioued; 
disregard ; overlook. 
I jirettrmyt also the ryche appnrcll of the pryncesse, the 
straunge fasshion of the Hnaiiyshe nacion, the beautie of 
the Englishe ladyes. Hall, Hen. VII., f. 58. (llaUiwell.) 
I haue not thought KOCH! to prttermitte that which 
chaunced to Johannes Solyslus, who, to searche the South 
syde of the supposed continent, departed with three 
shippes from porte Joppa. 
Peter Martyr (tr. In Eden's First Books on America, ed. 
[Arber, p. 181). 
The birth of a New Year is of an interest too wide to be 
pretennitted by king or cobbler. Lamb, New Year's Eve. 
3. To leave undone; neglect to do, make, or 
perform. 
We are Infinitely averse from it [prayer], . . . weary of 
its length, glad of an occasion to pretermit our omcen. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1885), I. 87. 
4. To render ineffectual. [Rare.] 
To pretermit the vigour and firmness of Phillippe le Bel, 
. . . Giovanni Buonacorsi of Lucca published, under the 
reign of Louis XII., a proposition that the pope was above 
the king in temporals. 
Landor, King James I. and Isaac C'asaubon. 
pretermitter (pre-ter-mit'er), n. One who pre- 
termits. 
IThe poet] is hlmselfe partelye contented to be con- 
iwled oy the stolck Damasip, as a sluggarde, and preter- 
tro 
miter of duetifull occasions. 
Drant, tr. of Horace's Satires, li. 3, Pro!. 
preternatural (pre-ter-nat'u-ral), a. [= OF. 
preternaturel = Sp. Pg. preternatural = It. pre- 
ternaturale; as preter- + natural.] Being be- 
yond what is natural, or different from what is 
natural; extraordinary; being out of the regu- 
lar or natural course of things: distinguished 
from supernatural, being above nature, and M- 
natural, being contrary to nature. 
Any preternatural iin imitations in the elements, any 
strange concussations of the earth. 
Bp. Ball, Invisible World, I. f 4. 
Mr. Pickering was a widower a fact which seemed to 
produce in him a sort of preternatural concentration of 
parental dignity. H. James, Jr., Pass. Pilgrim, p. 191. 
=Syn. Miraculous, etc. See supernatural. 
preternaturalism (pre-ter-nat'u-ral-izm), . [< 
preternatural + -ism.] 1. The tendency, habit, 
or system of ascribing preternatural qualities 
or powers to things which may be only natural ; 
belief in the preternatural. 
Camille's head, one of the clearest In France, has got It- 
self . . . saturated through every Bbre with preternatu- 
ralism of suspicion. Carlyle, French Rev., III. til. 8. 
2. Preternatural existence or existences. 
W r ords cannot express the love and sorrow of my old 
memories, chiefl) nut of boyhood, as they occasionally rise 
upon me, and I have now no voice fir them at all. One's 
heart becomes a grim Hades, peopled mily with silent 
preternatitralisin. Carlyle, in Froude, II. 19. 
