pretense
Use Pretense in a sentence
tɛns noun
1.
pretending or feigning; make-believe: My sleepiness was all pretense.
2.
a false show of something: a pretense of friendship.
3.
a piece of make-believe.
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.
Also, especially British, pretence.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin *praetēnsa, noun use of feminine of praetēnsus, past participle (replacing Latin praetentus) of praetendere to pretend
1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin *praetēnsa, noun use of feminine of praetēnsus, past participle (replacing Latin praetentus) of praetendere to pretend
Related forms
pre·tense·ful, adjective
pre·tense·less, adjective
Synonyms
1. shamming. 2. semblance. 3. mask, veil.
1. shamming. 2. semblance. 3. mask, veil.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To pretense
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Pretense
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
pretence or (US) pretense (prɪˈtɛns) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the act of pretending |
| 2. | a false display; affectation |
| 3. | a claim, esp a false one, to a right, title, or distinction |
| 4. | make-believe or feigning |
| 5. | a false claim or allegation; pretext |
| 6. | a less common word for pretension |
| pretense or (US) pretense | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
pretense
early 15c., "the putting forth of a claim," from M.Fr. pretensse, from fem. of L.L. prætensus, from L. prætensus, pp. of prætendere (see pretend). Meaning "false or hypocritical profession" is from 1540s. Pretension is c.1600 meaning "assertion;" sense
of "ostentation" is from 1727.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
He is device to show conventional logic and its erroneous pretense.
It is also the home of the excuse, the pretense, and the means of avoiding reality.
Aside from a surfeit of hubris and pretense, their implementation problem is that the functional architecture is alien.
The book was provided by the publisher under a pretense that it would be used for a course.
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