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pretense
[ pri-tens, pree-tens ]
noun
- pretending or feigning; make-believe:
My sleepiness was all pretense.
- a false show of something:
a pretense of friendship.
Synonyms: semblance
- a piece of make-believe.
- the act of pretending or alleging falsely.
- a false allegation or justification:
He excused himself from the lunch on a pretense of urgent business.
- insincere or false profession:
His pious words were mere pretense.
- the putting forth of an unwarranted claim.
- the claim itself.
- any allegation or claim:
to obtain money under false pretenses.
- pretension (usually followed by to ):
destitute of any pretense to wit.
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Other Words From
- pre·tenseful adjective
- pre·tenseless adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Example Sentences
In Iraq and Syria, unlike in Libya, there is no pretense that this is anything less than war in the constitutional sense.
We would perhaps be tossing out any pretense of traditional baseball in exchange for popular thrill-a-minute spectacle.
They are winning incremental battles under the pretense of health regulations and parental consent.
There is not even the pretense of actual interaction with voters.
All along, Orman never made any pretense about her sexuality.
After long delays Crane and Keith made pretense of building camps and starting to log.
No one who makes any pretense of seeing England will miss either of these places.
Come, Peter Snooks, to the dog that was never far out of sight, well at least make a pretense of being useful.
What oceans of futility one discovered, what mountains of pretense—and with what forests of scholarship grown over them!
Ruth always suspected that Uncle Jabez Potter made a pretense of being really worse than he was.
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