Meaning
excuse, pretext
In a sentence
Hai sempre un pretesto per non uscire.
You always have an excuse not to go out.
Ieri ha usato un pretesto per andare via.
Yesterday he used a pretext to leave.
Non cercare pretesti, dimmi la verità.
Don't look for excuses, tell me the truth.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| pretesto | masculine · singular |
| pretesti | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Often negative: it suggests the stated reason is not the real one.
- Use con as in a common pattern: "con il pretesto di..." = "under the pretext of..."
- Stronger and more accusatory than scusa; scusa can be neutral or polite, pretesto usually is not.