Pretext

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹiːtɛkst/

Definitions

1. A fabricated rationale employed to mask the genuine intention behind an action or decision
2. A deceptive explanation put forth to cover the underlying motive that drives a specific behavior
3. An invented excuse used to conceal the real reason for an action

Etymology: The word started out as a piece of cloth. The Latin "praetextum" meant an ornament woven or wrought in front, a decorative border or fringe, and it came from "praetexere," meaning "to weave before." That literal sense of something fastened on the front of a garment is the seed of the modern meaning. The step from fringe to pretense happened through the idea of covering something up. A border or fringe put in front of a thing hides what lies behind it, and Latin already used the verb for allegation, to put forward something as a cover. So a pretext came to be a front, a plausible reason offered in place of the real one. English took the word from Latin, and it now names the stated motive that conceals the true purpose. Someone who drops a conversation to "check on a colleague" may be using a pretext to hide an entirely different errand.

Synonyms: excuse, reason, alibi, justification, rationale

Antonyms: truth, fact, reality, genuine reason, honesty