pretence
Americannoun
noun
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the act of pretending
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a false display; affectation
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a claim, esp a false one, to a right, title, or distinction
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make-believe or feigning
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a false claim or allegation; pretext
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a less common word for pretension
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.
The individuals allegedly placed orders for servers from global suppliers under the pretence that they would be used by companies they worked for.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
"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
Mr. Macron has since abandoned any pretence of an economic-growth agenda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
"The current pretence is unsustainable, and seems to put all the burden and blame on the victims," he told the BBC.
From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025
“All right—I’m sorry, I’m coming now,” and I made a pretence of turning on the tap, of bustling about and folding a towel on a rail.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
