pretense

American  

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

British, pretence

noun

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

• pretenseful adjective
• pretenseless adjective

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”; pretend

Example Sentences

She had been through life’s fires and knew that when it’s a fit, it should not be based on any false pretense.

From Los Angeles Times

Five days earlier, at around 7 a.m., the couple had crossed the border into Kazakhstan in a hired Toyota Hiace van, under the pretense of taking a vacation.

From The Wall Street Journal

The question then becomes: Will fans still tune into college games when there’s no pretense the players are students?

From The Wall Street Journal

His publicists invited her under the pretense of a business dinner with Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, then White surprised Dobrev instead.

From Los Angeles Times

Admittedly, much of social life consists of maintaining a thin pretense of normality.

From Salon

Related Words

• charade
• cloak
• pretext
• semblance
• veneer