pretext
Definitions
- A false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason; a pretense.
- A false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason; a pretense
- A reason or excuse given to hide the real reason for something.
- To employ a pretext, which involves using a false or contrived purpose for soliciting the gain of something else
- a reason given in order to hide the real reason; an excuse. rede, verskoning عُذْر كاذِب предлог pretexto výmluva der Vorwand undskyldning; påskud πρόφασηpretexto ettekääne بهانه؛ عذر veruke prétexteתירוץ बहाना izlika, pod zilikom ürügy dalih yfirvarp pretesto 口実 구실, 핑계 pretekstas, dingstis iegansts; atruna dalih voorwendselpåskudd, unnskyldningpretekst بهانه، عذر pretexto pretext предлог, отговорка výhovorka pretveza izgovor förevändning, svepskäl, ursäkt ข้ออ้าง bahane 藉口，託辭 привід, відмовк...
- a fictitious reason given in order to conceal the real one
- a specious excuse; pretence
- something put forward to conceal a true purpose or object; ostensible reason; excuse.
- the misleading appearance or behavior assumed with this intention; subterfuge.
- A professed rather than a real reason:pretense, pretension.
- An explanation offered to justify an action or make it better understood:excuse, plea.
- A deceptive outward appearance:cloak, color, coloring, cover, disguise, disguisement, façade, face, false colors, front, gloss, guise, mask, masquerade, pretense, semblance, show, veil, veneer, window-dressing.
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n → Vorwand m; on or under the pretext of doing something → unter dem Vorwand, etw zu tun n
Equivalents
Examples
“The reporter called the company on the pretext of trying to resolve⟳ a consumer complaint.”
“[T]hey would ſay [...] that I had quarrell'd / My brother purpoſely, thereby to finde / An apt pretext, to baniſh them my houſe.”
“"After all," said the Chevalier, "these portraits—Madame de I'Hôpital's fortune-telling—the pleasure we take⟳ in a lover or a physician—may all be referred to the same cause,—we do so enjoy⟳ talking about ourselves; and yet we feel⟳ some sort⟳ of excuse⟳ necessary. It must be admitted, that we are ready in pretexts."”
“On every kind of pretext she would run⟳ away from work⟳ [...]”
“The smallest incidents were to serve⟳ as pretexts for demonstrations of force⟳ and for demands for indemnities and reparations which increased China's subjection.”
“When that metaphor proves untenable, he switches to insisting that women are like⟳ beer but that’s mainly as a pretext to drink⟳ until he passes out in a father-son bonding haze.”
CEFR level
C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
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