1
: having a false look of truth or genuineness : sophistic
specious reasoning
2
: having deceptive attraction or allure
3
obsolete
: showy
speciously
adverb
speciousness
noun
Did you know?
Specious comes from Latin speciosus, meaning "beautiful" or "plausible," and Middle English speakers used it to mean "visually pleasing." In time, specious had begun to suggest an attractiveness that was superficial or deceptive, and, subsequently, the word's neutral "pleasing" sense faded into obsolescence.
Examples of specious in a Sentence
Forty years ago I was not yet thirty, and my father still held to the hope that I would come to my senses, abandon the practice of journalism, and follow a career in one of the Wall Street money trades. As a young man during the Great Depression he had labored briefly as a city-room reporter for William Randolph Hearst's San Francisco Examiner, and he knew that the game was poorly paid and usually rigged, more often than not a matter of converting specious rumor into dubious fact.
—
Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, February 2004
By and large, they made these changes with specious explanations or no explanation at all. Today, when curricula list rhetoric as a subject, it usually means simply the study of how to write effectively.
—Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy, (1982) 2002
One must always guard the interests of one's constituency in the public forum even when its claims are weak or perhaps specious, lest one's opponents steal the march in the never-ending battle for resources or public support.
—Robert Jackall et al., Image Makers, 2000
He justified his actions with specious reasoning.
a specious argument that really does not stand up under close examination
Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, February 2004
By and large, they made these changes with specious explanations or no explanation at all. Today, when curricula list rhetoric as a subject, it usually means simply the study of how to write effectively.
—Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy, (1982) 2002
One must always guard the interests of one's constituency in the public forum even when its claims are weak or perhaps specious, lest one's opponents steal the march in the never-ending battle for resources or public support.
—Robert Jackall et al., Image Makers, 2000
He justified his actions with specious reasoning.
a specious argument that really does not stand up under close examination
Recent Examples on the Web
In any event, the legal complaints against Trump’s response are specious.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 9 June 2025
In 2025, that feeling, however specious or temporary, is potent cultural currency.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Kennedy, who rose to prominence as a high-profile figure in the anti-vaccine movement, has made a variety of specious and debunked claims about vaccine harms.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 9 June 2025
The case was resolved on Jan. 13 of this year when the judge dismissed de Blasio’s specious case in an 81-page ruling.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for specious
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 9 June 2025
In 2025, that feeling, however specious or temporary, is potent cultural currency.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Kennedy, who rose to prominence as a high-profile figure in the anti-vaccine movement, has made a variety of specious and debunked claims about vaccine harms.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 9 June 2025
The case was resolved on Jan. 13 of this year when the judge dismissed de Blasio’s specious case in an 81-page ruling.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for specious
Cite this Entry
“Specious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specious. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
specious
adjective
spe·cious
ˈspē-shəs 
: having a false look of being fair, just, or right
a specious argument
speciously
adverb
speciousness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share