pretense

noun

pre·​tense ˈprē-ˌten(t)s 

pri-ˈten(t)s

variants or pretence

1

: a claim made or implied

especially : one not supported by fact

2

a

: mere ostentation : pretentiousness

confuse dignity with pomposity and pretense

—Bennett Cerf

b

: a pretentious act or assertion

3

: an inadequate or insincere attempt to attain a certain condition or quality

4

: professed rather than real intention or purpose : pretext

was there under false pretenses

5

: make-believe, fiction

6

: false show : simulation

saw through his pretense of indifference

Synonyms

• affectation
• affectedness
• grandiosity
• inflation
• pretension
• pretentiousness

Examples of pretense in a Sentence

We tried to keep up the pretense that everything was fine.

Their indifference is merely pretense.

Recent Examples on the Web

But in his youth lies the reason for anonymity and pretense, Hoback claims. —Joel Khalili, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2024

Liberals, apparently, got up close to voters under the pretense of handing out food and water. —Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024

This way, customers get a sense of certainty that they haven't been misled to buy something under false or semi-true marketing pretenses or subjective recommendations. —Gev Balyan, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024

Theft by false pretenses: Between midnight on June 1 and noon on Sept. 16, someone contacted a Saratoga resident via social media claiming to work as a financial investor and instructed the victim to send several bank transfers with a total loss of $1.2 million. —Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "assertion of a legal right, claim, reason, basis, feigning," borrowed from Anglo-French pretence, pretens "assertion of one's right," probably borrowed from Medieval Latin praetensē or praetensō "by way of assertion or allegation, allegedly, fictitiously," respectively adverbial derivative and masculine/neuter ablative singular of praetensus, praetentus "pretended, alleged," past participle of Latin praetendere "to hold or stretch out, put forward as a pretext" — more at pretend entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pretense

• abandon/drop all pretense at
• make a pretense of
• under/on the pretense of

Kids Definition

pretense

noun

pre·​tense

variants or pretence

ˈprē-ˈten(t)s  pri-ˈten(t)s 

1

: a claim usually not supported by facts

2

: the quality or state of being pretentious

free from pretense

3

: an effort to reach a certain condition or quality

let's have some pretense of order around here

the book makes no pretense at completeness

4

: a pretended purpose

was there under false pretenses

5

: a false show : simulation

a pretense of indifference