pretense
[noun]
Synonyms: claim, dibs, pretension, title, charade, disguise, make-believe, pageant, pretentiousness, mask, cloak, color, coloring, cover, facade, face, false front, guise, masquerade

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Antonyms: sincerity
Contrasted words: sincereness, reality, soundness, substantiality, validity, fairness, honesty
Related Words: deceit, deception, fake, fraud, humbug, imposture, sham, affectation, air, mannerism, pose

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. pre‧tence British English, pretense American English /prɪˈtens $ ˈpriːtens/ noun [singular, uncountable]

1. a way of behaving which is intended to make people believe something that is not true
pretence that
the pretence that the old system could be made to work
pretence of/at (being/doing) something
a pretence at seriousness
Tollitt made no pretense of being surprised.
How long are you going to keep up the pretence of being ill?
abandon/give up/drop a pretence
Abandoning any pretense at politeness, they ran for the door.
under the pretence of (doing) something
John waited for her under the pretence of tying his shoelaces.
It was all an elaborate pretence.

2. under/on false pretences without telling the truth about yourself or your intentions:
You brought me here under false pretences!

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. pre‧tense /prɪˈtens $ ˈpriːtens/ noun [singular, uncountable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pretensse, from Latin praetendere; ⇒ pretend¹]
the American spelling of pretence

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

pretense

an elaborate pretence (=one that is carefully planned and done, but obviously not true or real )
He made an elaborate pretence of yawning and said he was going to bed.
make a pretence
Steve made a vague pretence at being interested.
keep up/maintain a pretence (=keep pretending that you are doing something or that something is true)
She kept up the pretence that her husband had died in order to claim the insurance money.
abandon/give up/drop a pretence (=stop pretending that you are doing something or that something is true)
Maria had abandoned any pretence of having faith of any kind long ago.
make no pretence (=not pretend to do or have something)
I made no pretence of great musical knowledge.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲