alibi

American  

[al-uh-bahy] / ˈæl əˌbaɪ /

noun

plural

alibis

1. Law. the defense by an accused person of having been elsewhere at the time an alleged offense was committed.

2. an excuse, especially to avoid blame.

   Synonyms:

   justification, reason, explanation

3. a person used as one's excuse.

   My sick grandmother was my alibi for missing school.

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verb (used without object)

1. Informal. to give an excuse; offer a defense.

   to alibi for being late.

verb (used with object)

1. Informal.

   1. to provide an alibi for (someone).

      He alibied his friend out of a fix.

   2. to make or find (one's way) by using alibis.

      to alibi one's way out of work.

alibi British  

/ ˈælɪˌbaɪ /

noun

1. law

   1. a defence by an accused person that he was elsewhere at the time the crime in question was committed

   2. the evidence given to prove this

2. informal an excuse

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verb

1. (tr) to provide with an alibi

Etymology

Origin of alibi

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin alibī (adverb): “in another place, elsewhere”

Explanation

Your alibi is evidence that proves your innocence. If you were making cookies with your mom when someone raided your sister's piggy bank, your mom is your alibi, since she knows you were with her when the crime was committed. The noun alibi is the same word as its Latin root, alibi, which means "excuse." When you provide an alibi, you are giving proof — a certified excuse — that you could not have committed a crime. Alibi is easy to confuse with alias, which means "an assumed, or false, name."

Example Sentences

Carl Peters said the no-single-entry policy after 21:00 had been in place since the opening of Alibi in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, in 2022.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

The six-week-old Mojave Gold is the most promising new entry in a desert music scene that, lately, has seen its share of high-stakes ownership drama at venues like Pappy & Harriet’s and the Alibi.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

For Kevin Drake, a co-owner of Tahoe’s Alibi Ale Works, challenges included both the loss of weekend business and infrastructure difficulties.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2023

Years ago, the Alibi Breakfast gave owners and trainers the opportunity to boast about their horses and provide cheeky reasons why they might not win.

From Seattle Times • May 19, 2022

Alibi, Alibi, is all I could think of.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• excuse
• justification
• pretext