pretense
Americannoun
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pretending or feigning; make-believe.
My sleepiness was all pretense.
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a false show of something.
a pretense of friendship.
- Synonyms:
- semblance
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a piece of make-believe.
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the act of pretending or alleging falsely.
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a false allegation or justification.
He excused himself from the lunch on a pretense of urgent business.
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insincere or false profession.
His pious words were mere pretense.
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the putting forth of an unwarranted claim.
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the claim itself.
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any allegation or claim.
to obtain money under false pretenses.
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pretension (usually followed byto ).
destitute of any pretense to wit.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of pretense
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from unattested Medieval Latin praetēnsa, noun use of feminine of praetēnsus, past participle (replacing Latin praetentus ) of praetendere “to put forward, stretch forth, pretend”; see origin at pretend
Explanation
When you operate under a pretense, you're not being honest. You're pretending. If you say you're going to a party because you’re eager to see your friend, but really you're just interested in the birthday cake, you’re acting on pretense. Pretense involves deceiving on purpose, and it's usually something you shouldn’t be proud of. Under the pretense of being a college student, you might sneak into a library restricted to enrolled students. That’s dishonest and deceitful. But pretense isn’t always bad. You might not want to hurt your mother’s feelings, so you make a pretense of loving her tuna casserole, even though you’re trying not to gag on it.
Vocabulary lists containing pretense
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was instead dispensing with even the pretense that he was open to hearing the Obama administration’s arguments.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026
For those of my generation who were fortunate enough to go to college, it did expose much of the pretense of higher education and made us admit as much.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
It was an uncompromising response without any pretense the administration would rely on independent investigations of the event, video of which quickly circulated online, gripping the nation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
It is so strange to see serious people pretending to be doing serious work in this serious place, when all pretense of intellectual seriousness has fallen away.
From Slate • Dec. 17, 2025
But he knew that if he stayed he would not be able to keep up the pretense.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
