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alibi

US/ˈæl.ə.baɪ/ common
noun (2) verb (1)

noun

1.

(law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question

2.

a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.

  • “he kept finding excuses to stay”
  • “every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job”
  • “his transparent self-justification was unacceptable”
Synonyms

verb

1.

exonerate by means of an alibi

Origin

From the 18th century, from Latin alibī (“elsewhere, at another place”, adverb). Probably after French alibi, which has this use since the late 14th century.

Phrases

  • alibi copy
  • Alibi Ike

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.