pretext
n. C / Un. a false reason that you give for doing something to hide your real reason. You use it when you want to make an action seem more acceptable than it actually is.
n. a reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason. Often used to mask an underlying motive or to provide a legal or social excuse for an otherwise questionable act.
He used a business trip as a pretext to visit his family.
The manager called a meeting on the pretext of discussing safety, though everyone knew he intended to announce the layoffs.
Historians argue that the border skirmish was merely a convenient pretext for the invasion, which had been planned by the military leadership months in advance to secure natural resources.
From Latin praetextum (“an ornament, etc., wrought in front, a pretense”), neuter of praetextus, past participle of praetexere (“to weave before, fringe or border, allege”).
Often paired with the preposition 'for' or followed by an infinitive ('a pretext to do something').
He left under the pretext about being sick.He left under the pretext of being sick.The noun 'pretext' typically takes the preposition 'of' followed by a gerund, or 'for' followed by a noun phrase.