Pretence \Pre*tence"\, n., Pretenceful \Pre*tence"ful\, a., Pretenceless \Pre*tence"*less\, a. See Pretense, Pretenseful, Pretenseless. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

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]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

46 Moby Thesaurus words for "pretence": 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, front, guise, hoax, humbug, humbuggery, hypocrisy, impression, invention, make-believe, mask, masquerade, ostentation, pose, posturing, pretending, pretension, pretentiousness, pretext, ruse, sham, show, story, veil

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

pretence

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

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.

Primogeniture can not have any pretense to a right of solely inheriting property or power. --Locke.

I went to Lambeth with Sir R. Brown's pretense to the wardenship of Merton College, Oxford. --Evelyn.

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.

3. That which is pretended; false, deceptive, or hypocritical show, argument, or reason; pretext; feint.

Let not the Trojans, with a feigned pretense Of proffered peace, delude the Latian prince. --Dryden.

4. Intention; design. [Obs.]

A very pretense and purpose of unkindness. --Shak.

Note: See the Note under Offense.

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Pretence \Pre*tence"\, n., Pretenceful \Pre*tence"ful\, a., Pretenceless \Pre*tence"*less\, a. See Pretense, Pretenseful, Pretenseless.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)