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- pronunciation:
- ae
l
baI
- parts of speech:
- noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb
- features:
- Word Combinations (noun), Word History, Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
noun |
| inflections: |
alibis |
| definition 1: |
the legal defense of establishing one's location away from the scene of a crime during its commission.
- synonyms:
- defense
- similar words:
- plea
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| definition 2: |
(informal) an excuse.
- synonyms:
- apologia, defense, excuse, justification, plea
- similar words:
- cover-up, explanation, pretext, subterfuge, vindication
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| related words: |
cover, excuse |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| inflections: |
alibis, alibiing, alibied |
| definition: |
(informal) to give an excuse.
He alibied his way out of trouble.- similar words:
- cover
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| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| definition: |
to provide an excuse in someone's defense.
She alibied her brother to protect him.- synonyms:
- corroborate, defend, excuse, justify
- similar words:
- support, uphold
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Alibi is a Latin word for "elsewhere." In the 1700s, English lawyers began using this word in court. A lawyer might say, "The prisoner has proved himself alibi"--in other words, the prisoner has proved he was not at the scene of the crime. By the late 1800s, alibi was being used as the name for this kind of proof.
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