Pretence

Pretence

Noun · /prɪˈtens/ · the act of claiming or appearing to be something one is not

Definition

Pretence is the act of behaving as though something is true when it is not — making a false claim, performing a false appearance, or keeping up an illusion. It can be deliberate deception or a social performance: the pretence of not caring, the pretence of calm when anxious, the pretence of authority one does not hold. The word covers everything from harmless social convention to calculated fraud.

Origin

From Anglo-French pretense, from Medieval Latin praetensio, from Latin praetendere — to stretch before, to put forward as a cover — from prae (before) + tendere (to stretch). The same root gives us pretend, extend, attend, and contend. The core image is of holding something out in front of yourself as a screen or shield — offering a false front to the world.