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Vinony

pretext

noun

  1. invented excuse
L325900 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹiːtɛkst/

noun

Etymology: From Latin praetextum (“an ornament, etc., wrought in front, a pretense”), neuter of praetextus, past participle of praetexere (“to weave before, fringe or border, allege”).

  1. A false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason; a pretense.

    “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.”

verb

Etymology: From Latin praetextum (“an ornament, etc., wrought in front, a pretense”), neuter of praetextus, past participle of praetexere (“to weave before, fringe or border, allege”).

  1. To employ a pretext, which involves using a false or contrived purpose for soliciting the gain of something else.

    “The spy obtained his phone records using possibly-illegal pretexting methods.”

    “[…] the something in the air of these establishments; the vibration of the vast, strange life of the town; the influence of the types, the performers, concocting their messages; the little prompt Paris women arranging, pretexting goodness knew what, driving the dreadful needle-pointed public pen at the dreadful sand-strewn public table[…]”