specious

adjective

spe·cious | \ ˈspē-shəs

Definition of specious

1 : having a false look of truth or genuineness : sophistic specious reasoning

2 : having deceptive attraction or allure

3 obsolete : showy

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Did You Know?

Appearances can be deceptive. "Things are not always as they seem." Like these familiar proverbs, the word specious attests that English speakers can be a skeptical lot when it comes to trusting outward appearances. Specious traces to the Latin word speciosus, meaning "beautiful" or "plausible," and Middle English speakers used it to mean "visually pleasing." But by the 17th century, 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

Recent Examples on the Web

Imamoglu served as mayor for 18 days before the recount was ordered, based on allegations of fraud by the ruling party that many independent observers have deemed specious. — Laura King, latimes.com, "Repeat election for Istanbul mayor is a key test for Turkey’s authoritarian-minded president," 22 June 2019 Other arguments against the House Judiciary Committee launching an impeachment inquiry come across as equally specious. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, "1998 Was a Seinfeld Election—Not an Impeachment Referendum," 6 June 2019 To accede to a presidential demand — especially one based on specious evidence — would politicize and compromise the independence and integrity of the department, some senior DOJ officials strongly believed. — Murray Waas, Vox, "Exclusive: Trump loyalist Matthew Whitaker was counseling the White House on investigating Clinton," 9 Nov. 2018 Targeting fake profiles and pornography also seems a bit specious. — Louise Matsakis, WIRED, "Papua New Guinea Wants to Ban Facebook. It Shouldn't," 30 May 2018 Critics say that argument is specious, noting that Communist rule ended nearly three decades ago, and that only a handful of judges from that era remain on the bench. — Marc Santora, New York Times, "Poland’s Holocaust Law Weakened After ‘Storm and Consternation’," 27 June 2018 Jones’ complaints about how the city treated him are specious. — Lauren Ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Groveland still fighting former manager after two years," 18 June 2018 Republican lawmakers made the specious argument that those texts, which criticized Trump and other American political figures, had tainted the entire Russia investigation. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Truth Without Consequences," 13 July 2018 That charge is specious, and the U.S. should refute it vigorously. — Michael Doran And, WSJ, "Time to Make Up After Fighting Over Iran," 17 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'specious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for specious

specious

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of specious

formal : falsely appearing to be fair, just, or right : appearing to be true but actually false

See the full definition for specious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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specious

Definition of specious

Other Words from specious

Synonyms & Antonyms for specious

Did You Know?

Examples of specious in a Sentence

First Known Use of specious

History and Etymology for specious

English Language Learners Definition of specious

specious

Definition of specious

Other Words from specious

Synonyms & Antonyms for specious

Did You Know?

Examples of specious in a Sentence

First Known Use of specious

History and Etymology for specious

English Language Learners Definition of specious

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