Both Uses of
pretense
in
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
- Then I explained that I didn't like her because she was mean and petty and full of pretense.†
p. 229.8 *pretense = a false appearance or action to help one pretend
- I greeted her: "Hello, Dolores" (we had long dropped the pretense of familial relationship).†
p. 243.2
Definition:
a false appearance or action to help one pretend
This is sometimes seen in the expression "false pretense" or "false pretenses" which is just emphasizing that behavior or actions do not reflect the true situation.