Word bank

Improve your reading skills, Memorize words and practice vocabulary

Memorized by 10+ users

pretenses


Meanings
  • noun

    The act of feigning or making false show; hypocrisy.

    - "His pretenses of love were exposed when she found out about his affair."
    - "Despite his pretenses, the thief was caught stealing."
  • noun

    A reason or explanation given, typically an unjustified or insincere one.

    - "Her pretenses for missing work were not convincing."
    - "His pretenses for not attending the party were a lie."

Synonyms

affectation , deception , escape , false pretense , fiction , imitation , pretext , sham , subterfuge
Rhymes
Words rhyming with pretenses
pretend , lend , send , mend
Variants
List of all variants of pretenses that leads to same result
pretence , pretences , pretense , pretenses , on false pretenses , on/under false pretenses , under false pretenses
Etymology
origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old French 'pretens', present participle of 'pretendre' meaning 'to claim, to promise'.


Trivia
Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word
  1. The word 'pretenses' comes from the Old French word 'pretens', which means 'to claim' or 'to promise'.

  2. The term 'pretenses' is often used in legal contexts to refer to the reasons given by a defendant for committing a crime.


Related Concepts
informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to
  1. hypocrisy: The practice of claiming to have virtues, beliefs, or principles that one does not actually possess, especially publicly.

  2. deception: The act of causing someone to believe something that is not true, through lies, trickery, or other means.


Culture
Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature, pretenses are often used to explore themes of deception, hypocrisy, and human nature. For example, in Shakespeare's 'Othello', Othello's jealousy and subsequent actions are driven by his own pretenses and misunderstandings.

How to Memorize "pretenses"

  1. visualize

    - Visualize the act of putting on a false show or pretending to be something you're not.
    - Imagine yourself in a situation where you're using pretenses to hide the truth.

  2. associate

    - Associate the word 'pretenses' with the idea of a mask or a facade.
    - Think of the word 'hypocrisy' and how it relates to pretenses.

  3. mnemonics

    - Create a mnemonic by remembering the word 'pretenses' as 'promise to deceive'.


Memorize "pretenses" using Dictozo

The best and recommended way to memorize pretenses is, by using Dictozo. Just save the word in Dictozo extension and let the app handle the rest. It enhances the memorization process in two ways:

  1. Highlighting:

    Whenever users encounters the saved word on a webpage, Dictozo highlights it, drawing the user's attention and reinforcing memorization.

  2. Periodic Reminders:

    Dictozo will send you periodic reminders to remind you the saved word, it will ask you quiz. These reminders could be in the form of notifications or emails, prompting users to recall and reinforce their knowledge.