A false reason or excuse that someone gives to hide their real reason for doing something.
From Latin 'praetextus' (a cloak used as a cover), from 'praetexere' (to weave before, to conceal). The word entered English in the 16th century, capturing the metaphor of something false covering the truth.
The word 'pretext' literally comes from a Roman garment used to hide things—the toga praetexta was a specific purple-bordered toga—so when Romans used it metaphorically for hidden motives, they were using actual clothing as a metaphor for lying.
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