Meanings
plural false pretenses · alternative false pretence
- USA representation made of untrue assertions in order to convey a false impression.
She enrolled at the university under false pretenses, giving an invented birth date and lying about her qualifications.
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(law) an offense involving intent to defraud and false representation and obtaining property as a result of that misrepresentation
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Finnish väärä peruste
- väärä perusterepresentation of untrue facts
French fausses informations
- fausses informationsrepresentation of untrue facts
Icelandic falskar forsendur, svik
- falskar forsendurrepresentation of untrue facts
- svikrepresentation of untrue facts
Cite this entry
false pretense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20pretense
“false pretense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20pretense. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “false pretense,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20pretense.
Source: false pretense on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.