alibi

1 of 2

noun

al·​i·​bi ˈa-lə-ˌbī How to pronounce alibi (audio)
1
: the plea of having been at the time of the commission of an act elsewhere than at the place of commission
His alibi was that he was at the movies at the time of the crime.
also : the fact or state of having been elsewhere at the time
2
: an excuse usually intended to avert blame or punishment (as for failure or negligence)
made up an alibi for why she missed the meeting
3
: someone or something that provides a person with an alibi
His wife was his alibi.

alibi

2 of 2

verb

alibied; alibiing

transitive verb

: to exonerate (someone) by an alibi : to furnish an excuse for
… took statements from anyone not alibied.Joseph Wambaugh

intransitive verb

: to offer an excuse

Did you know?

In Latin, alibi was an adverb that meant “elsewhere.” When the word was first adopted into English in the 18th century, it was still limited to its adverbial use. A person on trial might be said to prove himself alibi when the crime was committed. By the end of that century, however, alibi had acquired the status of a noun and was used in legal contexts for “the plea of having been elsewhere at the time of the crime.” The meaning of the word was then extended to apply to the fact or state of having been elsewhere when a crime was committed.

Choose the Right Synonym for alibi

apology, apologia, excuse, plea, pretext, alibi mean matter offered in explanation or defense.

apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

her usual plea that she was nearsighted

pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

used any pretext to get out of work

alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

Examples of alibi in a Sentence

Noun 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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Prosecutors in Harris County, where Houston is located, ultimately dropped charges after learning of Murphy’s alibi, said one of his attorneys, Daniel Dutko. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024 But one thing becomes clear — not all of the players have a solid alibi. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 3 Jan. 2024 For instance, Jordan said cell phone records that would support his alibi were no longer available, and that key witnesses would have trouble remembering information. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2024 Now as grownups, that lie has caught up with them since their family members are demanding to meet the man who was their alibi on a trip to Atlantic City. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2024 The man had an alibi, prompting police to look elsewhere. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 12 Dec. 2023 Doug sat for at least two polygraph tests but was never charged — his alibi of being at work during the murder was hard to contest. Sarah Viren, New York Times, 5 Dec. 2023 Prosecutors pointed to this testimony during the trial, Pace said, to diminish Solorio’s alibi. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023 Stall’s alibi was disputed by accounts from his co-workers, his mother and his daughter’s mother, as well as text messages, according to investigators. Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2023
Verb
When faced with having to alibi to their spouses, Fiona and Bob, unbeknown to each other, involve a young couple, William and Mary Featherstone (Benjamin Cole and Noelle Marion). David Coddon, sandiegouniontribune.com, 15 Apr. 2018 In 1992, Bill Clinton felt compelled to alibi his youthful encounter with marijuana. Mark Z. Barabak, latimes.com, 24 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alibi.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin alibī "in another place, elsewhere," from alius "other" + -bī, locative suffix (as also in ibi, ibī "in that place, there," ubi, ubī "where?"), going back to Indo-European *-dhe (also in Oscan puf "where?," Umbrian pufe, Old Church Slavic kŭde, Sanskrit kúha, all going back to *kwu-dhe) + a particle *-i — more at else

Verb

derivative of alibi entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1909, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of alibi was in 1731

Cite this Entry

“Alibi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alibi. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

alibi

1 of 2 noun
al·​i·​bi ˈal-ə-ˌbī How to pronounce alibi (audio)
plural alibis
-ˌbīz
1
: the plea made by a person accused of a crime of having been at another place when the crime occurred
2
: an excuse intended to avoid blame

alibi

2 of 2 verb
alibied; alibiing
1
: to make an excuse for
2
: to offer an excuse
tried to alibi for showing up late
Etymology

Noun

from Latin alibi "elsewhere"

Legal Definition

alibi

noun
al·​i·​bi
: a defense of having been somewhere other than at the scene of a crime at the time the crime was committed
also : the fact or state of having been elsewhere at the time a crime was committed

Note: Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 12.1 requires the defendant to provide notice upon written demand of an intention to offer a defense of alibi. The prosecution must provide to the defendant the names of witnesses that will be used to rebut it.

Etymology

Noun

Latin, elsewhere, from alius other

More from Merriam-Webster on alibi

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