alibi

/'ælibai/

Thân thiện

The suspect's alibi was that he was at the library during the time of the crime.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act, typically a criminal one, is alleged to have taken place: In law, an "alibi" is a defense that attempts to prove the accused was not at the scene of the crime when it occurred.
   • An excuse or explanation intended to avoid blame or justify a failure: More generally, an "alibi" can refer to any excuse given for not fulfilling an obligation or for some fault.

2. Verb:

   • To provide an alibi for someone; to exonerate by offering proof or an excuse of absence: To "alibi" means to furnish or serve as an alibi for a person.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The suspect's solid alibi was that he was at a business conference in another city.
  • He always has a convenient alibi for not doing his homework.

• Verb:

  • His friend agreed to alibi for him, claiming they were together all evening.
  • The security footage alibied the employee, showing he was not in the building.

Advanced Usage

• "To have an airtight/ironclad alibi": To have a very strong, unbreakable alibi.
  • The defendant's airtight alibi made a conviction impossible.
• "To establish/prove an alibi": To provide evidence to support one's claim of being elsewhere.
  • Her phone records helped her establish an alibi for the time of the robbery.

Variants and Related Words

• Alibied (verb, past tense): Provided with an alibi.
  • He was alibied by multiple witnesses.
• Alibiing (verb, present participle/gerund): The act of providing an alibi.
  • Alibiing for a friend can have serious legal consequences.

Synonyms

• Noun (Excuse): Excuse, justification, pretext, defense, reason.
• Noun (Legal Defense): Defense of absence.
• Verb: Exonerate, clear, vindicate, excuse.

Related Phrases

• "Without alibi": Having no excuse or defense.
  • He was late without alibi and faced the consequences.
• "Alibi witness": A witness who testifies to support an alibi.
  • The defense called several alibi witnesses to the stand.

Idioms

• "The alibi doesn't hold water": The excuse or defense is not believable or is flawed.
  • His story about a flat tire was his alibi, but it didn't hold water with the police.

Học thuật

Noun

1. 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
2. (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question

Verb

1. exonerate by means of an alibi

Từ đồng nghĩa

• excuse
• exculpation
• self-justification