PRETENSE Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

pretense

[ pri-tens, pree-tens ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

pretending or feigning; make-believe:
My sleepiness was all pretense.
a false show of something:
a pretense of friendship.
Synonyms:
a piece of make-believe.
Synonyms: ,
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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Other �y��vlog Forms

��·�ٱ�Բ��f�ܱ� adjective
��·�ٱ�Բ��l�� adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of pretense¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from unattested Medieval Latin ��ŧ�Բ��, noun use of feminine of ��ŧ�Բ��ܲ�, past participle (replacing Latin praetentus ) of praetendere “to put forward, stretch forth, pretend”; pretend

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s simple, there’s no pretense, there’s no BS.

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It’s the music that takes things from pleasant to powerful — not just indie folk’s earnest refrains, but the way everyone hides behind the songs’ pretense of candor while keeping their own walls sky-high.

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Rather than correct them, Liz decides to keep up the pretense — no great stretch for someone so used to sloughing off and trying on one alias after another.

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Because that means that from here on out, we likely won't need to suffer through the pretense of the surviving characters in the adult timeline trying to "be better people."

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Considering that this weekend Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, under the pretense that we are being "invaded" you have to wonder when they are going to find a way to declare full "wartime" powers.

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