pretense

American  

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

British, pretence

noun

• pretenses
  plural

1. pretending or feigning; make-believe.

   My sleepiness was all pretense.

2. a false show of something.

   a pretense of friendship.

   Synonyms:

   semblance

3. a piece of make-believe.

   Synonyms:

   veil, mask

4. the act of pretending or alleging falsely.

5. a false allegation or justification.

   He excused himself from the lunch on a pretense of urgent business.

6. insincere or false profession.

   His pious words were mere pretense.

7. the putting forth of an unwarranted claim.

8. the claim itself.

9. any allegation or claim.

   to obtain money under false pretenses.

10. pretension (usually followed byto ).

    destitute of any pretense to wit.

11. pretentiousness.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pretenseful
  adjective
• pretenseless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pretenses
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pretense pretenses

When I observed the LAB dancers in the studio as they prepared for their upcoming program, there were no tiaras or tutus, no pretense of easy perfection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

It is supplying the constitutional context and stripping away the pretense courts so often cling to when they want to stay out of the fray.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

That’s the pretense that brought Anthea Hartig, an historian and the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, before a House committee on Tuesday.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

Rubio added that the Nicaraguan leader and his wife, Rosario Murillo, whom Ortega named as his "co-president" in February 2025, had "abandoned even the pretense of popular consent".

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

I try to hold it together, because leadership requires at least a pretense of grace under pressure.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

After learning that his client couldn’t locate her husband, Rodriguez admitted to obtaining a warrant in July 2022 under false pretenses in order to find him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Barofsky said Fain declared under false pretenses that Boyer had been derelict in his duties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Both suspects were arrested following the search and now face multiple felony charges, including grand theft, receiving stolen property and theft by false pretenses, according to authorities.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

But that news is tempered by the drumbeat of reports from the other end of the airport, where scores of arriving travelers have been detained in frightening conditions and under flimsy pretenses.

From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2025

“I suppose we all come under false pretenses one way or another, don’t we? It was best not to tell me. I probably wouldn’t have let you in.”

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

• charade
• cloak
• pretext
• semblance
• veneer