- a false reason or motive put forth to hide the real one; excuse
- a cover-up; front
Origin of pretext
Classical Latin praetextum, neuter of praetextus, past participle of praetexere, to weave before, pretend: see pre- and texture
noun
The definition of a pretext is an excuse or a cover up for the truth.
An example of a pretext is a person saying that she is having a small family dinner at home while a group of people are waiting there to surprise her father for his birthday.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"pretext." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Pretext>.
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pretext. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Pretext
pretext
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"pretext." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Pretext>.
APA Style
pretext. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Pretext
pretext
noun
A reason or excuse given to hide the real reason for something.
Origin of pretext
Latin praetextum from neuter past participle of praetexere to disguise prae- pre- texere to weave ; see teks- in Indo-European roots.THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"pretext." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Pretext>.
APA Style
pretext. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Pretext
Noun
(plural pretexts)
Verb
(third-person singular simple present pretexts, present participle pretexting, simple past and past participle pretexted)
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"pretext." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Pretext>.
APA Style
pretext. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Pretext
Sentence Examples
- But they served as a sufficient pretext, and in.
- To prevent this interference, or rather to give no pretext for it, was his guiding thought as to foreign policy.
- On the contrary it served as a pretext for Ivan to interfere in Lithuanian affairs.
- The duke went to England in 1360 as a hostage for the fulfilment of the treaty of Bretigny, returning to France in 1367 on the pretext of collecting his ransom.
- These acquisitions were made between 1328 and 1338; in the latter year Orkhan achieved his first conquest from Mussulman hands by the capture of Karassi, the pretext being the quarrel for the succession on the death of the prince, Ajlan Bey.
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