Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A mental reservation, as about the validity of something.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A thought kept back or dissembled; a mental reservation.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun an
ulterior motive
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[French : arrière, in back (from Old French arere; see arrears) + pensée, thought (from penser, to think; see pensive).]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From French.
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Examples
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jmjarmstrong commented on the word arrière-pensée
JM is in two minds about his arrière-pensée.
January 18, 2011