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pretense Definition

pre·tense (prē tens′, pri-; prē′tens′)

noun

  1. a claim, esp. an unsupported one, as to some distinction or accomplishment; pretension
  2. a false claim or profession
  3. a false show of something
  4. a pretending, as at play; make-believe
  5. a false reason or plea; pretext
  6. Rare aim; intention
  7. pretentiousness; ostentation
  8. a pretentious act or remark

Etymology: ME < Anglo-Fr pretensse < ML *pretensa < praetensus, alleged < pp. of L praetendere: see pretend

pretense Synonyms

pretense

n.

  1. The act of pretending

    affectation, misrepresentation, falsification, act, deceit, fabrication, trickery, double-dealing, misstatement, shuffling, falsifying, simulation, excuse, insincerity, profession, ostentation, assumption, dissembling, dissimulation, evasion, equivocation, prevarication, egotism, brazenness, arrogance, dandyism, foppery, servility, toadyism, obsequiousness, sycophancy, cringing, truckling, timeserving, complacency, smugness, priggishness, prudishness, coyness, formality, stiffness, blind*, smoke screen*; see also dishonesty, imitation 1.

    Antonyms honesty*, candor*, sincerity. *

  2. Something pretended

    gloss, falsehood, lie, falseness, affectedness, affectation, mask, cloak, show, excuse, subterfuge, pretext, fraud, appearance, seeming, semblance, wile, ruse, sham, airs, claim, mannerism; see also deception 1, imitation 2, trick 1.

pretense Usage Examples

Preposition: of

act: I'll take the honesty of an AA meeting over the pretense of a pious act any day.

Converse of object

  • abandon: They will abandon all pretense of benign assistance in favor of a more oppressive approach.
  • make: I make no pretense of being able to address all of the problems: I can't.
  • drop: Your country isn't Britain, it's Europe so drop the pretense and desist from claiming to care about employment levels in Britain.
  • have: Her work has no pretense of applicability to human medicine.

Adjective modifier

false: Please note that there are also risks of dealing with underage persons or people acting under false pretense.

Browse dictionary entries near pretense

  1. ‹ pretending
  2. ‹ pretender
  3. ‹ pretended
  4. ‹ pretend
  5. ‹ pretence
  6. ‹ preteen
  7. ‹ pretax
  8. ‹ pret
  9. ‹ presuppose
  10. ‹ presumptuous
  1. pretension ›
  2. pretentious ›
  3. preter- ›
  4. preterhuman ›
  5. preterit ›
  6. preterition ›
  7. preterm ›
  8. pretermit ›
  9. pretermitted heir ›
  10. preternatural ›