alibi
alibi Lexical Profile
alibi Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an alleged act, typically a criminal offense, took place.
"The suspect provided a verifiable alibi supported by security camera footage from the train station."
An excuse or pretext offered to avoid blame or justify a failure.
"The coach refused to use the rainy weather as an alibi for the team's poor performance."
• verb
To provide an alibi for someone, or to offer an excuse on one's own behalf.
"His neighbor agreed to alibi him by testifying that they were repairing a fence together that afternoon."
Word Nuance & Usage
In strict legal contexts, an alibi specifically denotes proof of being in another location when an offense occurred; its broader use as a general synonym for any excuse or pretext is widely accepted in everyday speech.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 18th century directly from the Latin adverb alibi, meaning 'elsewhere', formed from alius ('other') and ibi ('there').