pretext

noun

pre·​text ˈprē-ˌtekst How to pronounce pretext (audio)
: a purpose or motive alleged or an appearance assumed in order to cloak the real intention or state of affairs
Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

her usual plea that she was nearsighted

pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

used any pretext to get out of work

alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

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 on the Web But against the backdrop of the White House briefings, the Russian pretext provided no diplomatic cover. TIME, 29 Feb. 2024 Finding fault is a pretext. Re: Annoying: What about dads? Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024 Related Articles Native Americans hope new laws push Bay Area museums and universities to return ancestral remains This concern is a pretext for suppression of controversial faculty speech. Ty Alper, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Ivan was held at a hospital under the pretext that he was being given medical attention, even though he was not injured. Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 25 Feb. 2024 Apollo was a villain in the first Rocky film, a more nuanced antagonist in the second, a best friend and guru in the third, and a pretext for revenge and the expiation of guilt in the fourth. Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024 Cyrus believes this was all a pretext for ending the arrangement. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024 Whatever facile pretext has made sociology kindling for a firestorm does not have the features of a real debate. Carol J. Petty, Baltimore Sun, 2 Feb. 2024 Moreover, some bishops will use it as a pretext to do what the document explicitly forbids, especially since the Vatican has not stopped them before. Harry Bruinius, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pretext.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pretext was circa 1538

Dictionary Entries Near pretext

Cite this Entry

“Pretext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretext. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pretext

noun
pre·​text ˈprē-ˌtekst How to pronounce pretext (audio)
: a reason put forward in order to hide the real reason
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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