What is the Latin word for pretended?

The usual Latin words for “pretended” are dīcō, ferō, opīnor; also simulō, fingō, imāginārius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“pretended” in Latin

dīcōto say, talk, speak, utter, mention; to declare, state; to tell ferōto bear; to carry; to support, hold up; to suffer, tolerate, endure, bear opīnorto suppose, imagine, deem, think, judge, opine simulōto make like, simulate, imitate, copy, represent; to feign, pretend; to behave or act (as if, as though)fingōto shape, fashion, form, knead (dough); to touch, touch gently, stroke, stroke gently, handle; to adorn, dress, arrange imāgināriusimage; imaginary adumbrōto bring a shadow over something, cast a shadow on, shade or overshadow something, cover, screen; to represent an object fūcōto colour, paint, dye; to embellish, dissemble, falsify fūcōsuspainted, coloured, beautified; fake, counterfeit, spurious

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

pretended

qui perhibetur, dicitur, or fertur (that is said to be): opinatus (imaginary; opposed to verus): simulatus, fictus. (The words are found in this connection and order.) fictus et simulatus (feigned, opposed to verus): imaginarius (that is present, happens, etc., only in form, without having full validity; imaginary; first in Livy, neque se imaginariis fascibus eorum cessuros esse, 3, 41): adumbratus (sketched in appearance only; feigned; opposed to verus): fucatus, fucosus (deceiving by a fair appearance; hence not genuine; opposed to verus). ☞ Speciosus is = “striking the senses by its fair exterior.” Sometimes “pretended” may be translated, (a) by the adverb ficte; a pretended reconciliation, gratia ficte reconciliata: (b) by id quod videtur neque est; e.g., pretended expediency, ea quae videtur utilitas, neque est; id quod videtur utile esse, neque est: (c) by species with the genitive; a pretended advantage, species utilitatis.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for pretended?: The usual Latin words for “pretended” are dīcō, ferō, opīnor; also simulō, fingō, imāginārius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.