Make-believe is pretending, especially as a children's game. A world of make-believe.
Children know perfectly well it is not real, which is what makes it work. Make-believe is how a great deal of thinking is first practised.
1nounmake-believePretending, especially as a children's game.
“The whole afternoon was make-believe and it exhausted everybody.”
make-believe is a game.
Deverbal from make believe.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA