Definition of pretext - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
deceptionfalse reason given to hide true motive
- He used a business trip as a pretext.
Verb
deceptionuse a false reason to justify an action
- He pretexted illness to avoid the meeting.
Expressions with pretext
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acting with a false reason to hide the truth
He left the meeting on a pretext to avoid questions.
using a false reason to do something
He left early on the pretext of a headache.
act as a false reason to justify an action
They serve as a pretext for avoiding responsibility.
used to give a false reason for an action
He left early under the pretext of a family emergency.
using a false reason to justify an action
He visited her with the pretext of returning a book.
Origin of pretext
Latin, praetextus (excuse) + -ise (verb suffix)
Terms with pretext included in their meaning
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dismissal
dismiss or put off with a pretext
Examples of pretext in a sentence
The meeting was just a pretext for gossip. She pretexted a family emergency to leave early. They pretexted a prior engagement to skip the event.
View all translations of pretext
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:prétexte, prétexter, ...
- German:Vorwand, vorgaukeln, ...
- Italian:pretesto, fingere, ...
- Spanish:pretexto, pretextar, ...
- Portuguese:pretexto, alegar, ...
- Chinese:借口, ...
- Japanese:口実, 口実にする, ...
- Arabic:ذريعة, تَذَرَّعَ, ...
- Hebrew:אֲמַתְלָה, לְתָרֵץ, ...
- Russian:предлог, симулировать, ...
- Ukrainian:привід, удавати, ...
- Hindi:बहाना, बहाना करना, ...
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