French Conversation · Level 78
60 words
French word
alibi
Pronunciation
IPA/alibi/
Meaning
- masculine nounexcuse
Example
Il donne un alibi pour expliquer son retard.
He offers an excuse to explain why he is late.
More examples
Il a inventé un alibi pour éviter les questions.
He invented an alibi to avoid questions.
Core concept
A stated account that places someone elsewhere when an absence, delay, or accusation needs explaining.
Common phrases
inventer un alibi
invent an alibi
présenter un alibi
present an alibi
Similar words
excuse: A brief excuse or apology for questionable conduct.
explication: A clear description of why something happened or how it unfolded.
prétexte: A pretext presented instead of the real motive.
Definition in French
Explication donnée pour justifier une absence, un retard ou pour se défendre d'une accusation.
Word origin
The French noun alibi comes directly from Latin alibi, an adverb meaning 'elsewhere', which became a legal term and later a general word.
Usage tips
- French alibi is pronounced a-li-bi, with the final i sounding like 'ee', unlike the usual English pronunciation ending in 'eye'.
Other meanings
- pretextnoun
- alibinoun
Opposites
- aveuadmissionnoun
- confessionconfessionnoun