alibi
noun
al·i·bi
| \ ˈa-lə-ˌbī
\
\
Definition of alibi
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
verb
alibied;
alibiing
Definition of alibi (Entry 2 of 2)
: to exonerate (someone) by an alibi : to furnish an excuse for
… took statements from anyone not alibied.— Joseph Wambaugh
: to offer an excuse
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Synonyms for alibi
Synonyms: Noun
apology, defense, excuse, justification, plea, reason
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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
At one point, her brother’s secret lover, Richard, uses her to create an alibi. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Five Best: Meghan Cox Gurdon on Bewilderment," 22 Mar. 2019 Nor did Blinka know then that Stinson's alibi in the Cychozs murder checked out. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Prosecutor felt suspect was innocent, but dentists convinced him bite marks proved otherwise. They were wrong.," 26 June 2019 Stinson, 21, at the time, had a solid alibi and denied any knowledge of the murder, but quickly became the lead suspect. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Man exonerated after 23 years in prison says detectives, dentists framed him with bogus bite-mark evidence," 24 June 2019 But soon his alibi about being home studying began to unravel. — Matt Goldfarb, CBS News, "Investigation of airman's brutal murder in Japan uncovers deception, fraud and witchcraft," 19 June 2019 In 2001, a New York subway employee was arrested for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, after his alibi crumpled when police analysed his MetroCard data (paywall). — Mary Hui, Quartz, "Why Hong Kong’s protesters were afraid to use their metro cards," 13 June 2019 However, his original alibi is refuted when Harry reveals that Dewey seemed to confess to the crime. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "Who Killed Cassandra on "The Society"?," 13 May 2019 His feelings also provide him with a permanent alibi. — New York Times, "Review: ‘Deadpool 2’ Has More Swearing, Slicing and Dicing from Ryan Reynolds," 14 May 2018 Coley had a solid alibi for all but 20 minutes the night of the murders and the crimes would’ve have taken much longer than that to commit. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Unlikely friendship led to Carlsbad man's exoneration after 38 years in prison," 28 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: 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, "'How the Other Half Loves' ingenious and fab at North Coast Rep," 15 Apr. 2018 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, "'How the Other Half Loves' ingenious and fab at North Coast Rep," 15 Apr. 2018 In 1992, Bill Clinton felt compelled to alibi his youthful encounter with marijuana. — Mark Z. Barabak, latimes.com, "Violence! Sex! Defiance! Trump's over-the-top presidency has changed the rules for prospective candidates," 24 Oct. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alibi.' 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 alibi
alibi
noun
English Language Learners Definition of alibi
: a claim that you cannot be guilty of a crime because you were somewhere else when the crime was committed
also
: evidence which shows that such a claim is true
: an excuse for not being somewhere or doing something
See the full definition for alibi in the English Language Learners Dictionary
alibi
noun
al·i·bi
| \ ˈa-lə-ˌbī
\
\
plural alibis
Kids Definition of alibi
1
: the explanation given by a person accused of a crime that he or she was somewhere else when the crime was committed
2
: an excuse intended to avoid blame
She made up an alibi for why she was late.