pretence

[ pri-tens, pree-tens ]

/ prɪˈtɛns, ˈpri tɛns /

Save This Word!

Definition of pretence

noun British.

variant of pretense.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby pretence

prêt-à-porter, pretarsal, pretarsus, pretax, preteen, pretence, pretend, pretended, pretender, pretense, pretension

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use pretence in a sentence

Although Vanessa comforted herself with the pretence that I had two fathers, in reality—emotional reality, that is—I had none.
House of Cads: Growing Up Amid the Weirdness of Bloomsbury|Jessica Ferri|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kelly, however, goes a step further and abandons any pretence of subtlety.
R. Kelly’s Craziest Lyrics From ‘Black Panties,’ Analyzed|Chancellor Agard|December 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
At his most devastating, Ellison abandons any pretence of literary realism.
American Nightmare: Ralph Ellison’s ‘Invisible Man’ at 60|Nathaniel Rich|June 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The latest addition to the most-wanted list, Hafeez Saeed, the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, does not even make any pretence of hiding.
Obama’s Deal With Afghanistan Underscores Its Crucial Role in the War on Terror|Bruce Riedel|May 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST

We can't disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.
Obama's Egypt Address|The Daily Beast Video|June 4, 2009|DAILY BEAST
As the weeks wore on, the pretence of practical teaching was quietly dropped, and we crammed our science out of the text-book.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
By-and-by all pretence of formality and order is put aside and the battle really begins.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various
In 1845, this man, who had been a model husband and who made a great pretence of religion maintained Heloise Brisetout.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
They made some pretence of eating and drinking till the two waiters had for the time being departed.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
There are some people who, if they do not know the name or the face of a man, make this a pretence for laughing at him.
The 'Characters' of Jean de La Bruyre|Jean de La Bruyre

British Dictionary definitions for pretence

pretence

US pretense

/ (prɪˈtɛns) /

noun

the act of pretending

a false display; affectation

a claim, esp a false one, to a right, title, or distinction

make-believe or feigning

a false claim or allegation; pretext

a less common word for pretension (def. 3)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012