Meaning & use
pretence
A false show or appearance intended to make people believe something that is not true.
See it in a sentence
He kept up the pretence of being busy whenever the boss walked by.
Under the pretence of a routine inspection, the officers searched the entire warehouse.
A note on using this word
Pretence is the standard British spelling; American English generally prefers 'pretense'.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pretence”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.