a pretence
11pretence — noun 1. /prəˈtɛns / (say pruh tens) pretending or feigning; make believe: my sleepiness was all pretence. 2. /prəˈtɛns / (say pruh tens) a false show of something: a pretence of friendship. 3. /prəˈtɛns / (say pruh tens) a piece of make believe.… …
12pretence — n. (US pretense) 1 pretending, make believe. 2 a a pretext or excuse (on the slightest pretence). b a false show of intentions or motives (under the pretence of friendship; under false pretences). 3 (foll. by to) a claim, esp. a false or… …
13pretence — noun 1) cease this pretence Syn: make believe, acting, faking, play acting, posturing, deception, trickery 2) he made a pretence of being concerned Syn: (false) show, semblance, affectation …
14Pretence — 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 …
15pretence — noun An act of pretending or pretension; a false claim or pretext. That part of education that turned up in the latest phase of our argument, the cross examination of the empty pretence of wisdom, is none other, we must declare, than the true… …
16pretence to — a claim to (something), especially a false or ambitious one. → pretence …
17pretence — (US pretense) noun 1》 an act of pretending. 2》 pretentious behaviour. 3》 (pretence to) a claim to (something), especially a false or ambitious one …
18pretence — noun see pretense …
19pretence — /pri tens , pree tens/, n. Chiefly Brit. pretense. * * * …
20pretence — Synonyms and related words: airs, appearance, artifice, blind, camouflage, cloak, cover, cover up, deception, disguise, display, dodge, excuse, fable, fabrication, facade, fairy tale, fakery, faking, falsification, feigning, fiction, figment,… …