pretend etymology

Pretend

Etymology:

• From Middle English "pretenden," meaning "to claim or profess to be something one is not."
• Derived from Old French "pretendre," meaning "to extend or reach out; to lay claim to."
• Ultimately from Latin "praetendere," meaning "to extend before, to put forward, to claim."

Meaning:

• To behave as if something is true or the case, even though it is not.
• To make a false claim or assertion.
• To feign or simulate a particular emotion, action, or belief.

Origin:

The word "pretend" originated in the legal realm, referring to the act of laying claim to something. In the 14th century, it began to be used more broadly to mean "to claim or profess to be." Over time, the word took on its current meaning of feigning or simulating something that is not true.

pretend relate terms

• pretended

  Pretended Etymology The word pretended is often mistakenly believed to be derived from

• pretend

  Pretend Etymology From Middle English pretenden meaning to claim or profess to be

• pretender

  Etymology The word pretend is derived from the Old French word pretendre which in tu

• pretend

  Pretend Etymology From Middle English pretenden meaning to claim or profess to be

• pretense

  Etymology of Pretense Latin praetensus past participle of praetendo to stretch bef

• pretension

  Etymology The word pretension comes from the Latin praetendere meaning to stretch

• profess

  Etymology The word professor originates from the Latin word professus which means

• feint

  Etymology Old English fent a trick or stratagem Middle English feinte pretense d

• make believe

  Etymology The word makebelieve is a compound word from the words make and believe

• malinger

  Etymology The word malingerer is derived from the French word malingre which means

• simulate

  Etymology The word simulate comes from the Latin word simulare which means to imita

• mouth

  Etymology The word mouth comes from the Old English word mūþ which is believed to

• anticipate

  Etymology Latin anticipare from ante before capere to take Literally meaning

• promise

  Etymology The word promise comes from the Old French word promesse which in turn de