alibi

alibi — noun

1. information or evidence showing that a suspect was elsewhere when a crime happen

1.nounC1
Definition

information or evidence showing that a suspect was elsewhere when a crime happened, which removes that person from blame.

Example

Train camera records gave Omar an alibi for the museum theft.

give someone an alibi for + crime

At midnight, Rosa's video call provided a strong alibi.

provide an alibi

Common collocations
  • solid alibi
  • false alibi
  • provide an alibi
  • confirm an alibi
  • have no alibi
Synonyms
  • defence

    broader legal word for the whole case made to protect an accused person

  • evidence

    any information supporting a case, not only proof of being elsewhere

  • proof

    stronger; suggests the matter is clearly shown to be true

  • vindication

    formal; the later clearing of blame rather than the proof itself

Antonyms
  • confession

    a statement admitting guilt instead of denying it

  • incrimination

    formal; evidence or action that points toward guilt

Grammar Patterns

have an alibi

give/provide + someone + an alibi

an alibi for + crime

Usage Note

Often used with verbs like have, give, provide, and confirm. Unlike sense 2, this sense depends on facts that place the person elsewhere, not just on a convenient reason.

Common Mistakes

His alibi was that he felt sick.
His excuse was that he felt sick.
an alibi in this sense must show where a person was, usually in a crime case.
The ticket gave alibi to her.
The ticket gave her an alibi.
with 'give', the person normally comes before 'an alibi'.

2. a reason someone gives to avoid blame for bad behaviour, a mistake, or a failure

2.nounC1
Definition

a reason someone gives to avoid blame for bad behaviour, a mistake, or a failure.

Example

Being tired is no alibi for missing your son's school play.

no alibi for + -ing

The rain became his alibi for arriving an hour late.

Common collocations
  • weak alibi
  • handy alibi
  • no alibi for
  • use traffic as an alibi
  • an alibi for lateness
Synonyms
  • excuse

    the most general everyday word

  • justification

    suggests the speaker thinks the reason is fair or right

  • pretext

    often implies the reason is not the real one

  • cover story

    stronger; often suggests a planned false explanation

Antonyms
  • admission

    openly saying that you did something wrong

  • accountability

    accepting responsibility instead of hiding behind reasons

Grammar Patterns

an alibi for + noun/-ing

use + something + as an alibi

be no alibi for + noun/-ing

Usage Note

Common with for + noun or -ing, and after words like no, weak, and handy. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense can be any excuse, even when it is not supported by facts.

Common Mistakes

Traffic was my alibi that I was late.
Traffic was my alibi for being late.
this sense usually takes 'for' before the reason.
She used an alibi to prove she was at home.
She used an alibi to avoid blame for being late.
when the meaning is 'excuse', the focus is avoiding blame, not proving location.

alibi — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Alibi' is much narrower than most similar words. It refers to evidence that a person was somewhere else when a crime happened, so it fits criminal cases especially well. 'Defence' is broader: it can mean the whole argument used in court, not just one piece of proof. 'Evidence' is any information that supports a claim, while 'proof' is stronger and suggests the point is clearly established. 'Excuse' is the least legal and the least exact; it may simply be a reason people give to avoid blame. Compare: 'The train ticket gave her an alibi,' 'The defence called another witness,' 'Police found new evidence,' 'Video proof ended the case,' and 'Rain was his excuse for being late.'

alibi ↗defence ↗evidence ↗proof ↗excuse ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • have an alibi
  • provide an alibi
  • use something as an alibi

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Alibi came straight from Latin 'alibi', an adverb meaning 'somewhere else' or 'in another place'. English first used it in legal contexts for a claim that an accused person was elsewhere when a crime happened. From that courtroom meaning, the word later widened in everyday English to mean any excuse used to avoid blame.