Pretense

Definition of Pretense

Pre`tense´
n.1.The act of laying claim; the claim laid; assumption; pretension.
Primogeniture can not have any pretense to a right of solely inheriting property or power.
- Locke.
I went to Lambeth with Sir R. Brown's pretense to the wardenship of Merton College, Oxford.
- Evelyn.
2.The act of holding out, or offering, to others something false or feigned; presentation of what is deceptive or hypocritical; deception by showing what is unreal and concealing what is real; false show; simulation; as, pretense of illness; under pretense of patriotism; on pretense of revenging Cæsar's death.
3.That which is pretended; false, deceptive, or hypocritical show, argument, or reason; pretext; feint.
Let not the Trojans, with a feigned pretense
Of proffered peace, delude the Latian prince.
- Dryden.
4.Intention; design.
A very pretense and purpose of unkindness.
- Shak.

Related Words

acting, affectation, affectedness, air, airs, airs and graces, alibi, apology, appearance, appurtenance, artificiality, attitudinizing, authority, birthright, blind, bluff, bluffing, charade, cheating, claim, cloak, color, coloring, conjugal right, cover, cover story, cover-up, deception, delusion, demand, device, dissemblance, dissembling, dissimulation, divine right, droit, due, explanation, facade, face, faculty, fake, fakery, faking, false air, false front, false show, falsity, feigned belief, feigning, feint, four-flushing, fraud, front, gilt, gloss, guise, handle, humbug, humbuggery, hypocrisy, image, imposture, inalienable right, insincerity, interest, lame excuse, locus standi, loftiness, lofty affectations, make-believe, mannerism, masquerade, mere show, meretriciousness, natural right, ostensible motive, ostent, ostentation, ostentatiousness, outward show, pageant, playacting, poor excuse, pose, posing, posture, power, prerogative, prescription, presumptive right, pretension, pretentiousness, proper claim, property right, protestation, prunes and prisms, public image, public motive, put-off, put-on, putting on airs, rational ground, rationale, reason, reason for, reason why, refuge, representation, right, screen, seeming, sham, simulacrum, smoke screen, speciousness, stalking-horse, stated cause, stratagem, stylishness, subterfuge, the big idea, the idea, the whatfor, the wherefore, the why, title, trick, underlying reason, unnaturalness, varnish, veil, vested interest, vested right, window dressing
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