pretext
US
/ˈpriːtekst/
UK
/ˈpriːtekst/
Meaning
A reason someone gives to hide their real purpose or the true reason for doing something.
अपना असली मकसद या वजह छिपाने के लिए दिया गया बहाना या दिखावटी कारण।
Examples
“He used the extra meeting as a pretext to speak with the director alone.”
“She left early on the pretext that she had a headache.”
“The power cut gave them a pretext for ending the event before the debate.”
Useful patterns
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Common mistakes
Not natural: She gave pretext for missing the class.
Better: She gave a pretext for missing the class.
Pretext is a countable noun here, so it needs an article such as “a.”
यहाँ pretext गिनने योग्य noun है, इसलिए इसके पहले “a” लगाना ज़रूरी है।
Not natural: The rain was a pretext of canceling the match.
Better: The rain was a pretext for canceling the match.
Use “pretext for” before a noun or an -ing verb, not “pretext of.”
किसी noun या -ing verb से पहले “pretext for” कहते हैं, “pretext of” नहीं।
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Learner tip
A pretext is often a believable excuse that hides a different motive; it is not simply any reason.
Pretext अक्सर ऐसा भरोसेमंद बहाना होता है जो असली मकसद छिपाता है; यह हर तरह की वजह नहीं है।