pretend
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere, present active infinitive of praetendō (“put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.
Pronunciation [edit]
Verb [edit]
pretend (third-person singular simple present pretends, present participle pretending, simple past and past participle pretended)
- To claim, 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, "Vanity publishing", The Economist, 13 Apr 2009:
- 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.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII.23:
- To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.). [from 15th c.]
- 2007, The Guardian, 29 Oct 2007:
- 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.
- 2007, The Guardian, 29 Oct 2007:
- To lay claim to (an ability, status, advantage, etc.). [from 15th c.]
- 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.
- 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25:
- To make oneself appear to do or be doing something; to engage in make-believe.
- 1814, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park:
- "The truth is, Ma'am," said Mrs. Grant, pretending to whisper across the table to Mrs. Norris, "that Dr. Grant hardly knows what the natural taste of our apricot is [...]."
- 2003, Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, 23 Jan 2003:
- Luster claimed that the women had consented to sex and were only pretending to be asleep.
- 1814, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park:
Usage notes [edit]
- This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
to allege falsely
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To lay claim to
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To make oneself appear to do something
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External links [edit]
- pretend in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- pretend in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
