Pretense is the American spelling of pretence. British books almost always write pretence, with a c. American books write pretense, with an s. It is the same word, not a second meaning.

PretensePretense is the American spelling of pretence是 pretence 的美式拼法。British books almost always write pretence英式書籍幾乎都寫 pretence，with a c用 c。American books write pretense美式書籍寫 pretense，with an s用 s。It is the same word是同一個字，not a second meaning不是另一個意思。

A pretense is a false show. You put on a pretense when you act as if something is true, but it is not: a feeling you do not really have, a kind of life you do not really live, or a reason that is not the real one. People often say “under the pretense of…” when someone uses a polite or official-sounding reason to hide what they are really doing.

A pretenseA pretense is a false show是一種假裝出來的樣子。You put on a pretense when you act as if something is true, but it is not當你表現得好像某件事是真的，但其實不是的時候，你就是 put on a pretense：a feeling you do not really have像是假裝有某種你其實沒有的感覺、a kind of life you do not really live假裝過著你其實沒過的一種生活，or a reason that is not the real one或是拿一個不是真正原因的理由出來說。When someone uses a polite or official-sounding reason to hide what they are really doing當有人用一個聽起來禮貌或官方的理由，來掩飾自己實際在做的事時，people often say "under the pretense of…"人們常會說「under the pretense of…」。

Though actually, in everyday American talk many people do not reach for this noun first. They say pretending, or putting on an act.

Though actually不過其實，in everyday American talk many people do not reach for this noun first在美式日常對話裡，很多人不會第一個想到用這個名詞。They say pretending, or putting on an act他們會說 pretending，或是 putting on an act。

Pretense sounds a little more like a book — not stiff, but not the first word a child uses either. You will still meet it in news, novels, and careful speech.

Pretense sounds a little more like a bookPretense 聽起來比較「書面」一點——not stiff不算生硬，but not the first word a child uses either但也不是小孩子第一個會用的字。You will still meet it in news, novels, and careful speech但你還是會在新聞、小說，還有比較講究的說話場合裡遇到它。

It sits next to pretext, and learners mix them. A pretext is specifically a made-up reason. A pretense can be that, but it can also be a whole false manner — not only the reason, but the acting itself.

It sits next to pretext它跟 pretext 很接近，and learners mix them學習者常常把兩個字搞混。A pretext is specifically a made-up reasonPretext 特別是指一個編出來的理由。A pretense can be thatPretense 可以是那個意思，but it can also be a whole false manner但也可以是一整套假裝出來的樣子——not only the reason, but the acting itself不只是理由，連演出來的樣子本身都算。