: by pretending that a certain condition or circumstance was true The loan was obtained on/under false pretenses.

What does it mean to be under a false pretense?

: by saying something that is not true, by pretending something, etc. A reporter obtained documents from the company under false pretenses.

What is an example of false pretenses?

An example of False Pretenses occurs when the defendant tells the victim that he will trade his expensive Rolex watch for the victim's sport's car. ... When the defendant obtains possession and ownership of the sport's car, he has committed the crime of False Pretenses.