different between pretense vs pretend

English

Alternative forms

• pretence (Only correct spelling in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, and Commonwealth countries and historical use in the United States)
• prætense (archaic)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French pretensse, from Late Latin praet?nsus, past participle of Latin praetend? (“to pretend”), from prae- (“before”) + tend? (“to stretch”); see pretend.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?i?t?ns/
• Hyphenation: pre?tense

Noun

pretense (countable and uncountable, plural pretenses) (American spelling)

1. (US) A false or hypocritical profession

2. Intention or purpose not real but professed.

   with only a pretense of accuracy

3. An unsupported claim made or implied.
4. An insincere attempt to reach a specific condition or quality.

Synonyms

• affectation denotes deception for the sake of escape from punishment or an awkward situation
• false pretense
• fiction
• imitation
• pretext
• sham
• subterfuge

• See also Thesaurus:pretext

Related terms

• pretend
• pretender
• pretension
• pretentious
• pretentiousness

Translations

Further reading

• pretense in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• pretense in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• pretense at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Petersen, pre-teens, preteens, terpenes

Spanish

Verb

pretense

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of pretensar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of pretensar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of pretensar.
4. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of pretensar.

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere, present active infinitive of praetend? (“put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tend? (“stretch”); see tend.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p???t?nd/
• Rhymes: -?nd
• Hyphenation: pre?tend

Verb

pretend (third-person singular simple present pretends, present participle pretending, simple past and past participle pretended)

1. To claim, to allege, especially when falsely or as a form of deliberate deception. [from 14th c.]
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII.23:

     "After what past at Upton, so soon to engage in a new amour with another woman, while I fancied, and you pretended, your heart was bleeding for me!"

   • 2009 April 13, “Vanity publishing”, in The Economist:

     I have nothing but contempt for people who hire ghost-writers. But at least most faux authors have the decency to pretend that they are sweating blood over "their" book.

2. To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.). [from 15th c.]
   • 2007 October 29, The Guardian, London:

     Gap and other clothes manufacturers should stop using small subcontractors because they are difficult to control. Instead, they should open up their own fully-owned production facilities so that they cannot pretend ignorance when abuses are committed.

3. To lay claim to (an ability, status, advantage, etc.). [from 15th c.] (originally used without to)
   • 1682, John Dryden, The Medal

     Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend.

   • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25:

     People observed the diversity of schools and the acerbity of their disputes, and decided that all alike were pretending to knowledge which was in fact unattainable.

4. To make oneself appear to do or be doing something; to engage in make-believe.
   • 2003 January 23, Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, London:

     Luster claimed that the women had consented to sex and were only pretending to be asleep.

5. (transitive, obsolete) To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.
6. (transitive, obsolete) To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt.
7. (transitive, obsolete) To hold before one; to extend.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.11:

     Pastorella […] Was by the Captaine all this while defended, / Who, minding more her safety then himselfe, / His target alwayes over her pretended […].

Usage notes

This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Related terms

• pretender
• pretense
• pretension
• pretentious
• pretentiousness

Translations

Further reading

• pretend in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• pretend in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Adjective

pretend (not comparable)

1. Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.

   As children we used to go on "spying" missions around the neighbour's house, but it was all pretend.

Translations