The word pretender has several different meanings:

• The claimant to an abolished throne
  • two notable claimants to the English throne, the son and grandson of a deposed monarch, were known as "The Old Pretender" and "The Young Pretender"
• "The Great Pretender" is the title of a song written by Buck Ram, which was recorded and frequently performed by The Platters (lyrics)
• The Pretender, an album and song by Jackson Browne
• The Pretender, a television show formerly on the NBC network
• The Pretenders, a rock music group.
• The Pretender. A story of the Latin quarter by Robert W. Service
• Pretenders were a subline of the Transformers toyline.