Meaning
suitor; claimant
- A person who seeks the hand of another in marriage; a suitor or wooer.
- A person who claims a right or title, especially to a throne or title of nobility.
In a sentence
La principessa rifiutò ogni pretendente che si presentò a corte.
The princess rejected every suitor who appeared at court.
Non c'è alcun pretendente legittimo per quel titolo nobiliare.
There is no legitimate claimant to that noble title.
Quanti pretendenti hanno chiesto la sua mano?
How many suitors asked for her hand?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| pretendente | singular |
| pretendenti | plural |
Usage notes
- Commonly masculine in historical contexts ('pretendente al trono'), but takes feminine articles when referring to a woman ('la pretendente').
- Derived from the present participle of 'pretendere' ('to claim' or 'to demand').