The Only Use
pretense
in
The Great Gatsby
(Auto-generated)
- He might have despised himself, for he had certainly taken her under false pretenses.†
p. 149.4false pretenses = false appearances or actions to help one pretend
Definitions:
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(1)
(pretense) a false appearance or action to help one pretendThis is sometimes seen in the expression "false pretense" or "false pretenses" which is just emphasizing that behavior or actions do not reflect the true situation.
- (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)