Make-believe is pretending something is real when you know it isn't. When children play make-believe, they might pretend a cardboard box is a spaceship or act out being pirates searching for treasure. They're creating an imaginary world and treating it as if it's real, even though everyone knows it's just pretend.

Make-believe is different from lying because no one is trying to fool anyone. When you play make-believe, everyone involved understands you're pretending. A child playing doctor in make-believe isn't actually trying to convince anyone she went to medical school.

Stories, movies, and plays are all forms of make-believe. When you watch a superhero movie, you know the actors aren't really flying, but you go along with the make-believe to enjoy the story.

The word can also describe something fake or phony in a dismissive way. If someone calls a contest “just make-believe,” they mean it isn't legitimate or serious. Adults sometimes use it to criticize things that seem pretend or artificial: “That's just make-believe,” meaning it has no real substance behind it.