pretense
[pri-tens, pree-tens]
- pretending or feigning; make-believe: My sleepiness was all pretense.
- a false show of something: a pretense of friendship.
- a piece of make-believe.
- the act of pretending or alleging falsely.
- a false allegation or justification: He excused himself from the lunch on a pretense of urgent business.
- insincere or false profession: His pious words were mere pretense.
- the putting forth of an unwarranted claim.
- the claim itself.
- any allegation or claim: to obtain money under false pretenses.
- pretension (usually followed by to): destitute of any pretense to wit.
- pretentiousness.
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Also especially British, pre·tence.
Origin of pretense
1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin *praetēnsa, noun use of feminine of praetēnsus, past participle (replacing Latin praetentus) of praetendere to pretend
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
charadepretextsemblancecloakveneerclaimmaskgaginventionartificefacadeaffectationrusedouble-dealingdeceptiontrickeryevasionactingroutineshamExamples from the Web for pretense
Contemporary Examples
In Iraq and Syria, unlike in Libya, there is no pretense that this is anything less than war in the constitutional sense.
We would perhaps be tossing out any pretense of traditional baseball in exchange for popular thrill-a-minute spectacle.
They are winning incremental battles under the pretense of health regulations and parental consent.
There is not even the pretense of actual interaction with voters.
All along, Orman never made any pretense about her sexuality.
Historical Examples
She had been convicted of blackmail, and she made no pretense even of innocence.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
Ben pretended to be vexed with Dick and Tom, but it was only pretense.
The Dare Boys of 1776Stephen Angus Cox
“Tell us some more about Big Brother Bill,” she said, with the pretense of a sigh.
The Law-BreakersRidgwell Cullum
Hastily he threw on the packs, making no pretense at neat packing.
Louisiana LouWilliam West Winter
That cannot be simulated; the pretense of it is in general, in the long run, futile.
Latin America and the United StatesElihu Root
Word Origin and History for pretense
n.
also pretence, early 15c., "the putting forth of a claim," from Anglo-French pretensse, Middle French pretensse (Modern French prétense), from Medieval Latin noun use of fem. of Late Latin praetensus, altered from Latin praetentus, past participle of praetendere (see pretend). Meaning "false or hypocritical profession" is from 1540s.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper