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Webster 1913 Edition

Pretence

{

Pre-tense′

,

Pre-tence

}
,
Noun.
[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.
Shakespeare
☞ 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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