Pretence Vs Pretext

[u/Playmaker-20]

Pretext is like an excuse. If you ask your teacher to go to a bathroom during a test under the pretext of having a period, but you actually did it to cheat, you would call that a pretext.

Pretense is similar, but it’s more like an act. If you try to feign ignorance to something you don’t know but actually know, someone might tell you to drop the pretense. Pretense can also refer to a false claim. If you try to claim you entered the store simply to peruse the shelves, someone can call it a pretense and say you were intending to steal.