as in pretension
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
a woman of great affectation at social gatherings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affectation
In a transfixing performance that balances colorful affectation with raw hunger, the actor makes Lee a magnetic raconteur whose shield of worldly composure falls away as Eugene (Drew Starkey) eludes his grasp, leaving him a virtual ghost by the end of the film.
—
Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025
In the beginning of the series, which starts in the 1950s and goes through the AIDS epidemic, Tim is still boyish, and his affinity for milk is just another cute affectation that catches Hawk’s eye.
—Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
In the 2010s, baking sourdough bread at home went from quirky, hippie affectation to a serious hobby.
—Meghan McCarron, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
That was just a bizarre affectation, a strange impression of a dancing horse that offered basically nothing constructive, and ultimately made his eventual miss look five times as stupid.
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 9 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for affectation
Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025
In the beginning of the series, which starts in the 1950s and goes through the AIDS epidemic, Tim is still boyish, and his affinity for milk is just another cute affectation that catches Hawk’s eye.
—Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
In the 2010s, baking sourdough bread at home went from quirky, hippie affectation to a serious hobby.
—Meghan McCarron, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
That was just a bizarre affectation, a strange impression of a dancing horse that offered basically nothing constructive, and ultimately made his eventual miss look five times as stupid.
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 9 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for affectation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectation
Noun
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The restaurant's elegant interior, with its high ceilings and classic décor, creates an atmosphere of refined sophistication without pretension—the ideal setting to contemplate the driving adventures that await.—
Shelby Knick,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Harrington recently appeared on the Cookie Jar Golf podcast and opened up about how the then-21-year-old McIlroy shattered his pretensions as a heavy favorite to win the title.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Most are due to unnecessary escalation, creating disengagement, authoritative behaviors, arrogance and ego.—
Joao Mendes-Roter,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Musk’s casual Friday attire just shows his arrogance and disrespect for American government.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Trump Administration has significantly weakened America's national security infrastructure under the false pretense of government efficiency, by reducing staffing at the Departments of Defense and State, FBI, CIA, USAID, and others despite increasing global threats.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
TIME,
24 Mar. 2025
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The Trump administration’s harrowing detention of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil — and the broader repression of student activism on campuses across the country — is being sold to the public under the false pretense of ensuring Jewish safety.—
Adam Jaffe,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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That has real implications for brand deals and CPM negotiations — but risks creating a new layer of noise and vanity metrics in the creator economy.—
Ian Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Although technology is a ubiquitous part of this production, the piece has practically nothing to say about it, other than acknowledging its mere existence — technology is related to vanity, and a front-facing selfie camera is like a mirror.—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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At the center of this tempest is the Trumpian disdain toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and especially the European nations that are America's main partners in that great endeavor.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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Trump posted about his disdain for the portrait on Sunday and blamed Gov. Jared Polis (D), who was not in office at the time the artwork was commissioned and not involved in the 2019 unveiling a few months after he was sworn in.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The 1960s ushered in debates about the constitutionality of the federal death penalty, due, in part, to a postwar sense of moral superiority.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2025
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Without a more concerted attempt to define and demonstrate ethical behavior, the romanticization of fintech’s alleged moral superiority is going to backfire.—
Ron Shevlin,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Sales Are Already Weakening February retail and food service sales were weaker than economists were forecasting, rising just 3.1 percent from a year earlier, with a lot of that gain coming from inflation of 2.8 percent.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
28 Mar. 2025
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The fall came amid a slumping stock market and uncertainty around inflation and President Trump’s tariffs.—
Eli Tan,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Manoj Ji’s works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Todd Golden doesn’t talk much about his Jewish faith, but takes tremendous pride in his heritage.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Affectation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectation. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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