( BrE ) ( NAmE pre·tense ) / prɪˈtens; NAmE / noun
1.
[ U , sing. ] pretence (of sth / of doing sth) | pretence (that ... ) the act of behaving in a particular way, in order to make other people believe sth that is not true :
Their friendliness was only pretence.
By the end of the evening she had abandoned all pretence of being interested.
He made no pretence of great musical knowledge.
She was unable to keep up the pretence that she loved him.
2.
[ U , C , usually sing. ] pretence (to sth / to doing sth) ( formal or literary ) a claim that you have a particular quality or skill :
a woman with some pretence to beauty
I make no pretence to being an expert on the subject.
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IDIOMS
see false
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French pretense , based on medieval Latin pretensus pretended, alteration of Latin praetentus , from the verb praetendere stretch forth, claim, from prae before + tendere stretch.