Adjacent Words

Pretext definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRETEXT', n. [L. proetextus.] Pretense; false appearance; ostensible reason or motive assigned or assumed as a color or cover for the real reason or motive. He gave plausible reasons for this conduct, but these were only a pretext to conceal his real motives.
He made pretext that I should only go
And help convey his freight; but thought not so.
They suck the blood of those they depend on, under a pretext of service and kindness.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason [syn: pretext, stalking-horse]
2: an artful or simulated semblance; "under the guise of friendship he betrayed them" [syn: guise, pretense, pretence, pretext]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Latin praetextus, from praetexere to assign as a pretext, screen, extend in front, from prae- + texere to weave — more at technical Date: 1513 a purpose or motive alleged or an appearance assumed in order to cloak the real intention or state of affairs Synonyms: see apology

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an ostensible or alleged reason or intention. 2 an excuse offered. Phrases and idioms: on (or under) the pretext (foll. by of, or that + clause) professing as one's object or intention. Etymology: L praetextus outward display f. praetexere praetext- (as PRAE-, texere weave)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pretext Pre"text (?; 277), n. [F. pr['e]texte, L. praetextum, fr. praetextus, p. p. of praetexere to weave before, allege as an excuse; prae before + texere to weave. See Text.] Ostensible reason or motive assigned or assumed as a color or cover for the real reason or motive; pretense; disguise. They suck the blood of those they depend on, under a pretext of service and kindness. --L'Estrange. With how much or how little pretext of reason. --Dr. H. More. Syn: Pretense; excuse; semblance; disguise; appearance. See Pretense.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pretexts) A pretext is a reason which you pretend has caused you to do something. They wanted a pretext for subduing the region by force... N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Show, appearance, affectation, semblance, guise, cloak, simulation, mask, color, pretence.

Moby Thesaurus

acting, affectation, alibi, allege, alternative, appearance, attitudinizing, avow, bluff, bluffing, camouflage, cheating, choice, claim, cloak, color, coloring, cover, cover story, deception, delusion, disguise, dissemblance, dissembling, dissimulation, escape clause, escape hatch, excuse, explanation, facade, face, fakery, faking, false air, false front, false show, falsity, feigning, feint, four-flushing, fraud, front, gilt, gloss, guise, humbug, humbuggery, imposture, loophole, masquerade, meretriciousness, ostentation, outward show, playacting, plea, pose, posing, posture, pretend, pretense, pretension, profess, protest too much, purport, rational ground, rationale, rationalization, reason, reason for, reason why, red herring, representation, right, ruse, saving clause, seeming, semblance, sham, show, simulacrum, simulation, speciousness, stated cause, the big idea, the idea, the whatfor, the wherefore, the why, underlying reason, varnish, veil, way of escape, way out, window dressing