pretense, especially of an innocent or playful kind; playacting; fantasy.
the make-believe of children playing.
a pretender; a person who pretends.
a fantasy, pretence, or unreality
( as modifier )
a make-believe world
a person who pretends
First recorded in 1805–15
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cars Land is a make-believe area based on a fictional town from an animated film, but its roots are decidedly real.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
As long as Hegseth keeps his chest-thumping and pull-up contests in the land of make-believe, these men are happy.
From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026
Villarreal: Before we get into the film, I know you and Dakota spent a lot of time in your younger years playing make-believe.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026
Even younger infants show early signs of understanding make-believe.
From Science Daily • Feb. 10, 2026
It was time for Fred to forget about playing a make-believe hero on TV.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
