pretend

To pretend is defined as to claim, to make believe or imitate.

(verb)

An example of to pretend is to say that you don't know the source of a mistruth.
An example of to pretend is a little girl dressing up like a fairy.
An example of to pretend is a gay man bringing a woman home to his parents and acting like she's his girlfriend.

See pretend in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

Origin: ME pretenden, to intend < MFr pretendre < L praetendere, to hold forth, allege < prae-, before + tendere, to stretch: see thin

intransitive verb

adjective

Informal make-believe: pretend jewelry

See pretend in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb pre·tend·ed, pre·tend·ing, pre·tends

verb, transitive

To give a false appearance of; feign: “You had to pretend conformity while privately pursuing high and dangerous nonconformism” (Anthony Burgess).
To claim or allege insincerely or falsely; profess: doesn't pretend to be an expert.
To represent fictitiously in play; make believe: pretended they were on a cruise.
To take upon oneself; venture: I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong.

verb, intransitive