pretense

== English == === Alternative forms === pretence (UK) prætense (archaic) === Etymology === Borrowed from Middle French pretensse, from Late Latin praetēnsus, past participle of Latin praetendō (“to pretend”), from prae- (“before”) + tendō (“to stretch”); see pretend. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈpɹiːtɛns/ Hyphenation: pre‧tense === Noun === pretense (countable and uncountable, plural pretenses) (American spelling, British pretence) (countable or uncountable) The action of pretending; false or simulated show or appearance; false or hypocritical assertion or representation. (uncountable) Affectation or ostentation of manner. Intention or purpose not real but professed. An unsupported claim made or implied. An insincere attempt to reach a specific condition or quality. (obsolete) Intention; design. (heraldry) This term needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}. ==== Synonyms ==== affectation denotes deception for the sake of escape from punishment or an awkward situation false pretense fiction imitation pretext sham subterfuge See also Thesaurus:pretext ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== Further reading ==== “pretense”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “pretense”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “pretense”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. === Anagrams === Petersen, pre-teens, preteens, terpenes == Spanish == === Verb === pretense inflection of pretensar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative