pretense

noun

ˈprē-ˌten(t)s How to pronounce pretense (audio)
variants or pretence
Definition of pretensenext
1
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case she seemed to be a very down-to-earth woman who was completely free of pretense

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2
as in facade
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive her display of bravado was just a pretense

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3
as in right
an entitlement to something this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness

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4
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims the pretense of that woman in thinking that the other hotel guests should be inconvenienced just for her

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pretense Everything else is pretense; the diplomat is pretense; the Hand of the King, there’s a level of pretense; Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, there’s a level of pretense. — Matt Minton, Variety, 20 July 2026 When Moore finally abandons the pretense and focuses in earnest on his presidential ambitions, the damage to Maryland will be incalculable and likely irreparable. — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026 The investigation revealed that on March 21, 2021, Vega flagged down Perez, a local street vendor, with the pretense of buying from him, KMPH reported. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 Except at the French Open, where humans still inspect skid marks on the red clay, in tennis, the pretense of any agency over the machine is gone. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
  1. affectation
  2. facade
  3. right
  4. arrogance
  5. pretension
  6. guise
  7. claim
  8. superiority
Noun
  • Robinhood's banking product arrived with private-bank affectations, estate planning, event access, cash to the door, priced at $5 a month inside a bundle a 30-year-old already pays for.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Bret, who narrates the series with snooty affectation, is primarily parentless, with mom and dad gallivanting around Europe.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of affectation
Noun
  • Upon closer inspection, the facade and interiors alike have details that are unexpectedly progressive.
    — Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Hirshman said the Center currently has $5 million in its building fund to fix up West-Park Church’s facade and roof.
    — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of facade
Noun
  • Much like the universal right to access fresh—and delicious—food.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Once confined to biotech labs and the disposable income of Silicon Valley billionaires, longevity is no longer a tech bro hobby and has become a consumer aspiration in its own right.
    — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of right
Noun
  • Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the league’s own research found that what reads as charisma in Dallas can land as arrogance in Düsseldorf.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • The genre, with its sanitized storylines and Oscar-baiting pretensions, seems fundamentally at odds with the iconoclastic chef and television personality.
    — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Like Paul Schrader’s 1982 version of the latter, this is an upscale genre piece whose pretensions towards Art are upfront, starting with a quotation from no less than Schopenhauer.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of pretension
Noun
  • Volkswagen refers to the Cruise as a concept, but perhaps it will be shown in near-production guise.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Somewhere between a sandal and a ballet flat, caged silhouettes come in all manner of guises.
    — Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
Definition of guise
Noun
  • New state data obtained by the I-Team shows that 46% of cancer claims that firefighters filed in Texas between January 2021 and April 2026 were denied.
    — Ginger Allen, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • During opening arguments, California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill laid out the claims against Meta.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of claim
Noun
  • The superiority of the German Jews turned out to be nothing but a mirage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Khrushchev’s victory ensured the superiority of party leaders relative to other figures in the state, cementing his own power and giving him control of the regime.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of superiority

Phrases Containing pretense

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pretends
pretense
pretenses
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Cite this Entry

“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pretense for Spanish Speakers

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