Pretense

Alternates

Pretence
Pre*tence

Pretense (pretense)
n.	(?)
Pre*tense"
[LL. praetensus, for L. praetentus, p. p. of praetendere. See Pretend, and cf. Tension.]

The act of laying claim; the claim laid; assumption; pretension.

Spenser.

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.

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.

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.

Intention; design.

[Obs.]

A very pretense and purpose of unkindness. Shak.

* See the Note under Offense.

Syn. -- Mask; appearance; color; show; pretext; excuse. -- Pretense, Pretext. A pretense is something held out as real when it is not so, thus falsifying the truth. A pretext is something woven up in order to cover or conceal one's true motives, feelings, or reasons. Pretext is often, but not always, used in a bad sense.

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The dictionary's 1913 edition of the 1900 International, renamed Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, has in modern times been used in various free online resources, as its copyright lapsed and it became public domain.
- Wikipedia

Pretense

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The dictionary's 1913 edition of the 1900 International, renamed Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, has in modern times been used in various free online resources, as its copyright lapsed and it became public domain. - Wikipedia

Pretense

Why Donate?

Donate Using PayPal

Donations from Outside of the United States

Donations by Other Methods

News: strengthen

The dictionary's 1913 edition of the 1900 International, renamed Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, has in modern times been used in various free online resources, as its copyright lapsed and it became public domain.
- Wikipedia