Nearby Words
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.
EXPANDa 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.
COLLAPSEAlso, 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. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Pretense
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
| pretence or (US) pretense (prɪˈtɛns) | |
| —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
EXPAND of "ostentation" is from 1727.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Word Dynamo Rating For Pretense
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