Origin: Latin prefix pre-
Pretend has 10 different meanings across 3 categories:
represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like
"She makes like an actress"
To claim, to allege, especially when falsely or as a form of deliberate deception.
"The defendant pretended that he had been driving on the wrong side of the road, even though surveillance footage proved otherwise."
In plain English: To pretend means to act as if something is true when it isn't, usually just for fun or to trick someone.
"The children sat still and pretended to be statues for their art project."
Usage: Use pretend only when someone acts as if something is true while knowing it is false, such as children playing make-believe. Do not use this word to describe lying about facts or making untrue claims without the element of playful imitation.
imagined as in a play
"the make-believe world of theater"
"play money"
"dangling their legs in the water to catch pretend fish"
Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.
"The children spent hours pretending that their cardboard box was a spaceship soaring through the galaxy."
In plain English: Pretend means acting as if something is true even though it isn't real.
"His playful smile was nothing but pretended, and everyone knew he wasn't actually happy inside."
The word "pretend" comes from the Old French pretendre, which originally meant to claim or demand something. It entered English via Anglo-Norman and traces back to a Latin root meaning to stretch out or hold forward.