pretense

[ pri-tens, pree-tens ]

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 by to ):

    destitute of any pretense to wit.

11. pretentiousness.

Other Words From

• pre·tenseful adjective
• pre·tenseless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pretense¹

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

According to prosecutors, Smith-Griffin orchestrated “a deliberate and calculated scheme to deceive investors in AllHere Education, Inc., inflating the company’s financials to secure millions of dollars under false pretenses.”

From Los Angeles Times

This time there's no national security pretense or a rationale that people are betraying the country.

From Salon

But one of them has run a ragged, undisciplined and often listless campaign, increasingly focused on blatantly false claims and hateful invective, and without the slightest pretense of “moderation” or unifying rhetoric.

From Salon

In the campaign’s final week, Trump returned to New York to feed his ego and the hate of a party that seems to have lost all pretense of wanting a democracy.

From Los Angeles Times

During his presidency, he wanted to use the Insurrection Act to command the United States military to crush dissent under the pretense of stopping “political protests” and “riots.”

From Salon

Related Words

• charade
• cloak
• pretext
• semblance
• veneer