Found 2 items, similar to pretence.
English → English (WordNet) Definition: pretence pretence n 1: a false or unsupportable quality [syn: pretension, pretense] 2: an artful or simulated semblance; “under the guise of friendship he betrayed them” [syn: guise, pretense, pretext] 3: pretending with intention to deceive [syn: pretense, feigning, dissembling] 4: imaginative intellectual play [syn: pretense, make-believe] 5: the act of giving a false appearance; “his conformity was only pretending” [syn: pretense, pretending, simulation, feigning]
English → English (gcide) Definition: Pretence Pretence \Pre*tence"\, n., Pretenceful \Pre*tence"ful\, a., Pretenceless \Pre*tence"*less\, a. See Pretense, Pretenseful, Pretenseless. [1913 Webster] Pretense \Pre*tense"\, Pretence \Pre*tence\, n. [LL. praetensus, for L. praetentus, p. p. of praetendere. See Pretend, and cf. Tension.] 1. The act of laying claim; the claim laid; assumption; pretension. --Spenser. [1913 Webster] Primogeniture can not have any pretense to a right of solely inheriting property or power. --Locke. [1913 Webster] I went to Lambeth with Sir R. Brown's pretense to the wardenship of Merton College, Oxford. --Evelyn. [1913 Webster] 2. The act of holding out, or offering, to others something false or feigned; presentation of what is deceptive or hypocritical; deception by showing what is unreal and concealing what is real; false show; simulation; as, pretense of illness; under pretense of patriotism; on pretense of revenging C[ae]sar's death. [1913 Webster] 3. That which is pretended; false, deceptive, or hypocritical show, argument, or reason; pretext; feint. [1913 Webster] Let not the Trojans, with a feigned pretense Of proffered peace, delude the Latian prince. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 4. Intention; design. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] A very pretense and purpose of unkindness. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Note: See the Note under Offense. [1913 Webster] Syn: Mask; appearance; color; show; pretext; excuse. Usage: Pretense, Pretext. A pretense is something held out as real when it is not so, thus falsifying the truth. A pretext is something woven up in order to cover or conceal one's true motives, feelings, or reasons. Pretext is often, but not always, used in a bad sense. [1913 Webster]