specious

[spee-shuhs]

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adjective

apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible: specious arguments.
pleasing to the eye but deceptive.
Obsolete. pleasing to the eye; fair.

Origin of specious

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin speciōsus fair, good-looking, beautiful, equivalent to speci(ēs) (see species) + -ōsus -ous

Related formsspe·cious·ly, adverbspe·cious·ness, nounnon·spe·cious, adjectivenon·spe·cious·ly, adverbnon·spe·cious·ness, nounun·spe·cious, adjectiveun·spe·cious·ly, adverbun·spe·cious·ness, noun

Can be confusedspecie species specious

Synonyms for specious

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1. See plausible. 2. false, misleading.

Antonyms for specious

1, 2. genuine.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for speciously

ostensibly, probably, supposedly, allegedly, possibly, evidently, externally, outwardly, reasonably, superficially, intuitively, plausibly, professedly, reputably, seemingly, speciously, tangibly

Examples from the Web for speciously

Historical Examples of speciously

"Jerry wanted to know how you were," said Stella speciously.
Country Neighbors
Alice Brown
This was a chance, he speciously urged, which Miss Devereux should not be suffered to miss.
The Crooked Stick
Rolf Boldrewood
How was it possible she should behave so speciously as she did all the time the lady staid with us!
Clarissa, Volume 4 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
After an autumn speciously benign came our season of cold and snow.
The Boss of Little Arcady
Harry Leon Wilson
It was uniformly not so hopeful as formerly, while speciously apologetic.
The Portion of Labor
Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

British Dictionary definitions for speciously

specious

adjective

apparently correct or true, but actually wrong or false
deceptively attractive in appearance

Derived Formsspeciously, adverbspeciousness, noun

Word Origin for specious

C14 (originally: fair): from Latin speciōsus plausible, from speciēs outward appearance, from specere to look at

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for speciously

specious

adj.

c.1400, "pleasing to the sight, fair," from Latin speciosus "good-looking, beautiful," from species "appearance" (see species). Meaning "seemingly desirable, reasonable or probable, but not really so" is first recorded 1610s.