alibi
[ al-uh-bahy ]
/ ˈæl əˌbaɪ /
noun, plural al·i·bis.
Law.
the defense by an accused person of having been elsewhere at the time an alleged offense was committed.
an excuse, especially to avoid blame.
a person used as one's excuse: My sick grandmother was my alibi for missing school.
verb (used without object)
Informal.
to give an excuse; offer a defense: to alibi for being late.
verb (used with object)
Informal.
- to provide an alibi for (someone): He alibied his friend out of a fix.
- to make or find (one's way) by using alibis: to alibi one's way out of work.
Origin of alibi
First recorded in 1720–30,
alibi is from the Latin word
alibī (adv.): in or at another place
usage note for alibi
Alibi in Latin is an adverb meaning “in or at another place.” Its earliest English uses, in the 18th century, are in legal contexts, both as an adverb and as a noun meaning “a plea of having been elsewhere.” The extended noun senses “excuse” and “person used as one's excuse” developed in the 20th century in the United States and occur in all but the most formal writing. As a verb
alibi occurs mainly in informal use.
Words nearby alibi
ali pasha,
ali, muhammad,
alias,
alias dictus,
aliasing,
alibi,
alible,
alicante,
alice,
alice band,
alice blue
Example sentences from the Web for alibi
British Dictionary definitions for alibi
alibi
/ (ˈælɪˌbaɪ) /
noun plural -bis
law
- a defence by an accused person that he was elsewhere at the time the crime in question was committed
- the evidence given to prove this
informal
an excuse
verb
(tr)
to provide with an alibi
Word Origin for alibi
C18: from Latin
alibī elsewhere, from
alius other +
-bī as in
ubī where