pretence

American

[pri-tens, pree-tens] / prɪˈtɛns, ˈpri tɛns /

noun

British.

variant of pretense.

pretence British

/ 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

"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

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.

See Examples For:

pretence

"And yet they still have the pretence of being a developing country in the WTO and in the World Bank, and they could suspend that," Malpass added.

From BBC ● May 12, 2026

Scappaticci was engaged in a pretence to help shore up his reputation: publicly fighting a legal case, while hoping – and expecting – he would lose.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2026

Mr. Macron has since abandoned any pretence of an economic-growth agenda.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026

"I always felt her suffering was made worse by the government's pretence."

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025

I put the clothes away, making a pretence of going to the door.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023