v.
- act so as to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not.
▸engage in an imaginative game or fantasy.
▸simulate (an emotion or quality).
-
(pretend to)
lay claim to (a quality or title).
adj.
informal imaginary; make-believe.
Etymology
ME: from L. praetendere ‘stretch forth, claim’, from prae ‘before’ + tendere ‘stretch’.