pretense
Americannoun
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pretending or feigning; make-believe.
My sleepiness was all pretense.
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a false show of something.
a pretense of friendship.
- Synonyms:
- semblance
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a piece of make-believe.
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the act of pretending or alleging falsely.
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a false allegation or justification.
He excused himself from the lunch on a pretense of urgent business.
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insincere or false profession.
His pious words were mere pretense.
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the putting forth of an unwarranted claim.
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the claim itself.
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any allegation or claim.
to obtain money under false pretenses.
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pretension (usually followed byto ).
destitute of any pretense to wit.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing pretense
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 2
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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.
In the film’s staggering final moments, Spielberg sheds every remaining pretense for the sake of one last plea.
From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026
This year, McVay avoided any pretense of suspense.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Shredded was the pretense that men’s Division I basketball and football players are amateurs—and the NCAA’s ability to regulate sports.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
“It’s a terrible idea to move swiftly and not have the really complicated and challenging process that is required to actually work towards more than a superficial pretense of revisionist history,” Gudis said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026
There is nothing resembling predation, and no pretense of an adversary stance on either side.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
