Example: Il a quitté la réunion sous prétexte d'un rendez-vous urgent.
Definition
"Sous prétexte de" is a French expression used to indicate that someone claims a reason or excuse for doing something, often suggesting that the stated reason might not be genuine or is used to justify an action. For example, "Il a quitté la réunion sous prétexte d'un rendez-vous urgent" means he left the meeting claiming an urgent appointment as the reason.
Translations
Under the pretext of
Con el pretexto de
Onder het voorwendsel van
Amb el pretext de
Unter dem Vorwand
Etymology
The expression "Sous prétexte de" comes from French, where "sous" means under, and "prétexte" means pretext or excuse. It literally translates to 'under the pretext of,' implying that the reason given is a cover or justification for an action. Did you know? The word "prétexte" itself traces back to Latin "praetextum," originally referring to a garment with a border worn by Roman magistrates, metaphorically extending to mean a cover or excuse.
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"Sous prétexte de" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 119 commonly used expressions.
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Under the pretext of