Crossword Dictionary
alibi
alibi - n
(law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
synonyms
apology, defense, excuse, justification, plea, reason
in a sentence
Nobody could confirm his alibi that he was at the movies.
Her doctor is her alibi: she was in surgery at the time of the murder.
She made up an alibi for why she missed the meeting.
etymology
1743, "a plea of having been elsewhere when an action took place," from Latin alibi (adv.) "elsewhere, somewhere else," locative of alius "another, other, different," from PIE root *al- (1) "beyond." The weakened sense of "excuse" is attested since 1912, but technically any proof of innocence that doesn't involve being "elsewhere" is an excuse (n.) and not an alibi.
alibi
alibi - n
(law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
synonyms
apology, defense, excuse, justification, plea, reason
in a sentence
Nobody could confirm his alibi that he was at the movies.
Her doctor is her alibi: she was in surgery at the time of the murder.
She made up an alibi for why she missed the meeting.
etymology
1743, "a plea of having been elsewhere when an action took place," from Latin alibi (adv.) "elsewhere, somewhere else," locative of alius "another, other, different," from PIE root *al- (1) "beyond." The weakened sense of "excuse" is attested since 1912, but technically any proof of innocence that doesn't involve being "elsewhere" is an excuse (n.) and not an alibi.