Meaning & use
pretenses
Last updated
False reasons or appearances put forward to hide the real purpose of something.
See it in a sentence
He entered the building under false pretenses, claiming to be a delivery driver.
She dropped all pretenses and admitted she had been unhappy for months.
A note on using this word
Most commonly used in the phrase 'under false pretenses,' meaning to deceive someone about one's true purpose.
Words with a similar meaning
guisesfacades
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
honesty
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