pretext

noun pre·text \ ˈprē-ˌtekst \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

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Examples: pretext in a Sentence

Definition of pretext

: a purpose or motive alleged or an appearance assumed in order to cloak the real intention or state of affairs

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Examples of pretext in a Sentence

She went back to her friend's house on the pretext that she had forgotten her purse.

Recent Examples of pretext from the Web

Unlike the pretext forbidding Rubin’s rightful claim, Bell is thankfully still alive and continues to rack up awards, though none as prestigious as the Nobel (even though nothing in the Nobel statutes precludes her from winning one).

— brian keating, WIRED, "There's Nothing Noble about Science’s Nobel Prize Gender Gap," 27 May 2018
The agent had agreed to meet Leon there under the pretext that the ICE agent wanted to buy drugs from Leon and Casillas-Mendoza, according to the probable-cause statement.

— uriel j. garcia, azcentral, "ICE agent shot would-be robber during 16-pound meth deal, records show," 10 May 2018
LeFlouria took note of the narrative panels in the memorial, which explain the pretext that mobs used to carry out some of the lynchings.

— mike cason, AL.com, "Visitors leave lynching memorial with strong impressions," 26 Apr. 2018
That's a lot of pretext, but that is where this movie starts.

— michael heaton, cleveland.com, "'Beirut' takes on the Middle East conflict of the '80s (review)," 13 Apr. 2018
Legal experts don’t seem particularly convinced by these, and Trump’s own White House counsel Don McGahn reportedly refused to order Mueller’s firing based on these pretexts last year.

— andrew prokop, Vox, "Trump would love to fire Mueller. But here’s why he’s been afraid to so far.," 12 Apr. 2018
The court heard that in September 2016 when the girl was 17 her mother tricked her into traveling to Pakistan under the pretext of a family vacation and also promised an iPhone for her impending 18th birthday.

— USA TODAY, "Mother convicted in landmark British case over forced marriage," 23 May 2018
It was widely speculated that Trump could even be searching for a pretext to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

— andrew prokop, Vox, "This weekend’s whirlwind of Trump-Mueller news, explained," 21 May 2018
The madeleines were just a pretext, a flag to find my way back to that afternoon. * * * All illustrations by Frances Leech.

— frances leech, Longreads, "Forgetting the Madeleine," 3 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of pretext

Latin praetextus, from praetexere to assign as a pretext, screen, extend in front, from prae- + texere to weave — more at technical

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First Known Use: circa 1538

in the meaning defined above

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Synonym Discussion of pretext

apology, apologia, excuse, plea, pretext, alibi mean matter offered in explanation or defense. apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.