Sentence examples for pretence with from inspiring English sources

However, in practice the Agta's case is indeed exemplary of 'manipulative participation', in which case 'Participation is simply a pretence, with "people's" representatives on official boards but who are unelected and have no power' (Pretty 1995:1252).

No one can interact meaningfully with a monocultural, political-performance factory, riddled with pretence and convention, because it means nothing.

In an industry a little heavy with pretence, he's refreshing company.

RupturedThe rupiah received another savaging after Indonesia's budget abandoned any pretence of complying with IMF requirements.

Do you refer to them by their full name, thus blowing any pretence of familiarity with them, or just gently drop in their first name and risk nobody having a clue who you're talking about?

St Valentine's Day is upon us again, with the usual vanilla menu ranging from the vaguely phallic (asparagus, figs, god-help-us sausages) to the alleged aphrodisiacal (oysters, chillies) via the slightly depressing idea that you can buy love, or at least the pretence of it, with fillet steak and rosy red berries from the other side of the world.

Under pretence of siding with Vespasian, Civilis of Batavia had taken up arms and induced the inhabitants of his native country to rebel.

It's the same food they'd be selling in a poncey restaurant in a more touristy area – a whole fish in amazing coconut sauce, with fried plantain – but with no pretence, no bullshit, just a really good meal and really cheap.

Although both he and Kim Jong-il dealt ruthlessly with those who opposed them, neither bothered with show trials – victims were simply executed with no pretence of legal process.

As that language has escalated, they have abandoned the centre ground along with the pretence that they represent a libertarian ideal which most Americans basically agree with.

This is unlikely to make it easier to deal with, or more willing to connive in the pretence that Australia's alliance with America has nothing to do with China.(Picture credit: AFP).