false pretense

fɔːls prɪˈtɛns

Definition of false pretense - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

deception

representation of untrue facts to deceive others

He gained her trust by making the false pretense that he was a police officer.

deception

fraud

trickery

legal

TECH.

criminal offense of obtaining property by deception

TECH.

She was charged with false pretense for the fraud.

deception

fraud

trickery

Add a suggestion |

Feedback:

Expressions with false

false alarm

warning signal given by mistake

The fire drill turned out to be a false alarm.

false economy

attempt to save money that leads to more costs

Buying cheap tires was a false economy.

false friend

person pretending to be a friend but not trustworthy

He realized she was a false friend after the betrayal.

false front

facade giving deceptive appearance

The building had a false front to make it look larger.

someone's words rang false

exp.

seem insincere or lacking genuine feeling

His apology sounded polished, but his words rang false to everyone.

strike a false note

to create an impression that is not sincere

His apology struck a false note with the audience.

Expressions with pretense

make a pretense of

act as if something is true when it is not

He made a pretense of caring about the results.

make no pretense

act honestly without trying to hide the truth

He makes no pretense about his lack of experience.

under the pretense of doing

adv.

acting with a false reason to hide true intent

He visited her under the pretense of doing a welfare check.

Terms with false pretense included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.

show

deception

pretense or false display

false front

deception

pretense or false display

sail under false colors

deception

use a false identity or pretense

sham Abraham

deception

false representation or pretense

Examples of false pretense in a sentence

She borrowed money on false pretense.
He was arrested for obtaining money under false pretense.

View all translations of false pretense

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:fausse prétention, tromperie, ...
German:falsche Vorspiegelung, Betrug, ...
Italian:falso pretesto, falsa pretesa, ...
Spanish:falsa pretensión, ...
Portuguese:falso pretexto, falsas pretensões, ...
Chinese:虚假借口, 诈骗, ...
Japanese:偽りの口実, 詐欺, ...
Arabic:ذَريعَة كاذِبة, احتيال, ...
Hebrew:אֲמִיתְלַת שָׁוְא, קַבָּלַת דָּבָר בְּמִרְמָה, ...
Russian:ложный предлог, мошенничество, ...
Ukrainian:удавання, шахрайство, ...
Hindi:झूठा बहाना, धोखाधड़ी, ...
Bengali:মিথ্যা অজুহাত, মিথ্যা ছলনা, ...
Catalan:falsa pretensió, falsos pretextos, ...
Czech:záminka, podvod, ...
Danish:et falsk påskud, bedrageri, ...
Dutch:valse voorstelling, valse voorwendselen, ...
Greek:ψευδής προσποίηση, απάτη, ...
Hungarian:hamis színlelés, csalás, ...
Khmer:លេសក្លែងក្លាយ, បទល្មើសឆបោកយកទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិ, ...
Korean:거짓 구실, 사기죄, ...
Persian:تظاهر دروغین, فریبکاری, ...
Polish:fałszywy pretekst, wyłudzenie, ...
Portuguese (BR):falsa alegação, falsa pretensão, ...
Romanian:pretext fals, înșelăciune, ...
Swedish:en falsk förespegling, oredligt förfarande, ...
Thai:ข้ออ้างเท็จ, การหลอกลวง, ...
Turkish:sahte beyan, sahte bahane, ...
Vietnamese:sự giả mạo, lừa đảo, ...

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

100,000 expressions & idioms Understand any expression you come across: from corporate jargon like 💬 touch base or ↩️ circle back to everyday expressions such as 🌊 out of the blue or 🦆 lame duck, as well as idioms like 🍲 spill the beans and 🐎 hold your horses.

40,000 images When you search for a concrete noun or object, images help you grasp the meaning at a glance. Try searching for 🧵 puppytooth, 🎠 merry-go-round, ⚜️ fleur-de-lys, or 💤 bunk bed.

Informal language & slang Everyday conversations are packed with informal expressions and slang. Meanings are clearly tagged, so you'll always know when a word is casual. Look up hangry (😋 hungry + 😡 angry), 😎 rizz, 🕹️ noob, or 🔑 low-key.

Abbreviations & acronyms Quickly decode modern abbreviations and acronyms. Go from IDK to OMG in seconds and stay up to date with popular abbreviations such as 🐐 GOAT, 📜 tl;dr, 👀 POV, or 🖥️ AFK.

Regional usage (US / UK) Reverso highlights regional differences between American and British English. You’ll never have to wonder where a word is commonly used: try lift vs. elevator, courgette vs. zucchini, or popular British slang like dodgy or banter. What’s more, when you search for 'color', you’ll immediately see its British counterpart, 'colour'.

Get more than a simple definition

Translations for each meaning View translations alongside each meaning to see how a word is translated in each context. Simply toggle translations ON and choose among 25+ languages. You can also display the translation of definitions or examples into your native language to deepen your understanding.

Synonyms & related words by meaning View synonyms and related words for each meaning, not just for the word as a whole. This helps you choose the most accurate word for your context. Click the

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.

Multiple examples for every meaning Each meaning comes with three real-life examples to show you how the word is used in different contexts. Click the

icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.

Go from understanding to mastery

Save words for later review Click the

icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the

icon next to it. For example, you might want to save the word “table” as a verb, which means “to postpone”.

Practice with personalized flashcards Reverso automatically transforms your searches and saved words into personalized flashcards and quizzes, featuring high-quality audio and usage examples. This helps you transform terms you only recognize into words you actually use confidently.

Learn with Netflix, YouTube, and your favorite texts With Reverso Chrome extension, transform movies, TV shows, articles, or song lyrics into an interactive lesson. Look up words and expressions in one click on any website and learn with your favorite content.

Definition of false pretense - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

Expressions with false

Expressions with pretense

Terms related to false pretense

Terms with false pretense included in their meaning

Examples of false pretense in a sentence

View all translations of false pretense

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery