pretense

English

Alternative forms

  • pretence (Only correct spelling in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, and Commonwealth countries, and historical use in the United States)
  • prætense (archaic)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French pretensse, from Late Latin praetēnsus, past participle of Latin praetendō (“I pretend”), from prae- (“before”) + tendō (“to stretch”); see pretend.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpɹiːtɛns/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

pretense (countable and uncountable, plural pretenses)

  1. (US) A false or hypocritical profession
    under pretense of friendliness
  2. Intention or purpose not real but professed.
    with only a pretense of accuracy
  3. An unsupported claim made or implied.
  4. An insincere attempt to reach a specific condition or quality.

Synonyms

  • See also Thesaurus:pretext

Translations

Further reading

  • pretense in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • pretense in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

Spanish

Verb

pretense

  1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of pretensar.
  2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of pretensar.
  3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of pretensar.
  4. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of pretensar.
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