pretence meaning and definition

PRETENCE noun

Definition of pretence (noun)

1. a false or unsupportable quality
   • synonyms: pretense, pretension
2. an artful or simulated semblance
   • "under the guise of friendship he betrayed them"
   • synonyms: guise, pretense, pretext
3. pretending with intention to deceive
   • synonyms: dissembling, feigning, pretense
4. imaginative intellectual play
   • synonyms: make-believe, pretense
5. the act of giving a false appearance
   • "his conformity was only pretending"
   • synonyms: feigning, pretending, pretense, simulation