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pretensemore about pretense

pretense

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Pretense  \Pre*tense"\,  Pretence  \Pre*tence\,  n.  [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  C[ae]sar'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. 
 
  Usage:  {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 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  pretense 
  n  1:  the  act  of  pretending  [syn:  {pretence},  {pretending},  {simulation}, 
  {feigning}] 
  2:  pretending  with  intention  to  deceive  [syn:  {feigning},  {dissembling}] 
  3:  an  imaginative  pretence  [syn:  {make-believe}] 
  4:  a  false  or  unsupportable  quality  [syn:  {pretension},  {pretence}]




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