pretense
/ˈpɹiːtɛns/ · pret·ense
noun
- A false or hypocritical profession She made friends with him under pretense of sharing a common interest.
- Intention or purpose not real but professed The company claimed to be environmentally friendly, but it was only a pretense.
- An unsupported claim made or implied The politician's statement was based on a pretense of facts that were not verified.
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Antonyms
Did you know? The word 'pretense' has been used in various forms of literature, including William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', where the character Hamlet uses the word to describe the hypocrisy of his uncle's behavior.