Category:Pretense

Pre*tense", pre*tence, n. Etym: [ll. praetensus, for l. praetentus, P. p. of praetendere. See pretend, and cf. Tension.]

1. 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.

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. [obs.] A very pretense and purpose of unkindness. Shak.

Note: 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.