Meaning & Definition
noun
A reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason.
He made a donation to the charity as a pretext for avoiding taxes.
An excuse or facade for a specific behavior or decision.
Under the pretext of needing advice, she sought him out to rekindle their old relationship.
A false appearing motive or justification.
The manager used a pretext of company policy to deny the employees' request for a raise.
Etymology
From Latin 'praetextus', meaning 'to cover or conceal'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
under the pretext:
doing something while claiming a misleading reason.
pretext for action:
an excuse that is used to justify a certain action.
on false pretenses:
acting under a deception, often legally or morally questionable.
Slang Meanings
Cover story
He always has a cover story to explain his late arrivals.
Excuse note
She wrote an excuse note to skip class but really just went shopping.