pretense

[pri-tens, pree-tens] / prɪˈtɛns, ˈpri tɛns /

NOUN

falsehood, affected show; cover

Synonyms

STRONGEST

charade cloak pretext semblance veneer

STRONG

act acting affectation appearance artifice claim deceit deception display dissimulation double-dealing evasion excuse fabrication facade fakery falsification feigning gag guise insincerity invention make believe mask masquerade misrepresentation misstatement ostentation posing posturing pretentiousness routine ruse schtick sham shuffling simulation stall stunt subterfuge trickery veil wile

WEAK

dumb act faking

Antonyms

STRONGEST

reality

STRONG

frankness honesty honor openness quiet simplicity truth truthfulness uprightness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Shredded was the pretense that men’s Division I basketball and football players are amateurs—and the NCAA’s ability to regulate sports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

This is the kind of art that would find a suitable home in a crypto king’s Miami mansion, and whose pretense of depth can’t conceal its wallowing in the shallows.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

She had been through life’s fires and knew that when it’s a fit, it should not be based on any false pretense.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

By the end, he abandons any pretense of legal reasoning, quoting lines from the majority and waving them away as “misleading,” without any explanation.

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2025

“Sounds like a great idea,” Stella told him, steering clear of his pretense at knighthood.

From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper

Vocabulary lists containing pretense

"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts

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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1

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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 2

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