pretend
/pɹiˈtend/pree-TEND
/pɹiˈtɛnd/pree-TEND
Meaningto stretch out in front
Common meaning: to make believe
- prebeforeSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 465 · scan
- tendto stretch out; to aim atLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1852 · scan
‘before’ + ‘to stretch out’ → pretend
Journey through time
- pre — Latin prae- “before” (path traced)
- tend — Latin tendō, tetendī, tentum/tēnsum “to stretch out; to aim at” (path traced)
Parts join in Latin as pretendere.
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin pretendere, which Skeat analyses as prae- ‘before’ + tendere ‘to stretch out; to aim at’.
Roots
- pretendere Latin “to stretch out in front”
- tendō, tetendī, tentum/tēnsum Latin “to stretch out; to aim at”
Related words
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