pretense

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noun pre·tense \ ˈprē-ˌten(t)s , pri-ˈ \

variants: or pretence

Definition of pretense

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

See pretense defined for English-language learners

See pretense defined for kids

Examples of pretense in a Sentence

We tried to keep up the pretense that everything was fine.
Their indifference is merely pretense.

Recent Examples of pretense from the Web

Under the pretense of training him with the sword, Bronn brings Jaime to a meeting with Tyrion.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Game of Thrones Forced You to Pay Attention to the Details This Week," 14 Aug. 2017
AUDI R8 $164,150 ● The all-new R8 ditches the pretense of keeping a respectful distance from its VW Group cousin, the Lamborghini Huracán.

— ezra dyer, Popular Mechanics, "Which Ridiculously Expensive Six-Figure Supercar Is the Best?," 9 Aug. 2017
For the survivors, another key determination is whether they were smuggled into the country on their own accord, or trafficked against their will or under false pretenses.

— caitlin dickerson, New York Times, "Survivors of Smuggling Trip Could Gain Entry to U.S. by Becoming Witnesses," 26 July 2017
There is the anxiety of possible unmasking, the sadness of being an enemy to one’s self, and the energy drain of maintaining a pretense.

— philip chard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Greater transparency tends to lead to being more at peace," 22 July 2017
But in June the site found the limits of those excuses with a news piece about forthcoming Stranger Things action figures—given such a flimsy pretense to discuss the show, the piece mostly pointed readers back to previous stories about Survive.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Pitchfork loves TV, so Pitchfork loves Survive," 12 July 2017
Americans, therefore, celebrate the Fourth of July under false pretenses.

— larrie d. ferreiro, Smithsonian, "At Its Core, the Declaration of Independence Was a Plea for Help From Britain’s Enemies," 28 June 2017
So let’s avoid any more pretense and get right to the center of the best (and worst) (depending on whether you’re Amber or not) finale in this show’s history.

— mark shrayber, Cosmopolitan, "Amber Makes Matt Take a Lie Detector Test in the Explosive Teen Mom OG Season Finale," 27 June 2017
Day-Lewis embodied Acting with a capital A, embracing all of its finicky pretense.

— erin blakemore, Longreads, "Desperately Seeking Daniel Day-Lewis," 24 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pretense.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pretense

Middle English, probably modification of Medieval Latin pretensio, irregular from Latin praetendere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

pretense Synonyms

Synonyms

affectation, affectedness, grandiosity, inflation, pretension, pretentiousness

Antonyms

humility, modesty, unassumingness, unpretentiousness

Near Antonyms

demureness, down-to-earthness, humbleness, humility, lowliness, meekness, modesty; bashfulness, diffidence, shyness, timidity; naturalness, sincerity

PRETENSE Defined for English Language Learners

pretense

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noun

Definition of pretense for English Language Learners

: a false reason or explanation that is used to hide the real purpose of something
: an act or appearance that looks real but is false
: a claim of having a particular quality, ability, condition, etc.