alibi

See also: Alibi and álibi

English

Etymology

From the 18th century, from Latin alibī (“elsewhere, at another place”, adverb). Probably after French alibi, which has this use since the late 14th century.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæl.ə.baɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

alibi (plural alibis)

1. (law) The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.

   to set up an alibi

   to prove an alibi

   • 1988, Criminal Law Deskbook, →ISBN:

     Alibi is different from all of the other defenses . . . it is based upon the premise that the defendant is truly innocent.

2. (sometimes proscribed) An excuse, especially one used to avoid responsibility or blame.
   • 1984, Jocelyn Brown, “Somebody Else's Guy”, in Somebody Else's Guy:

     That day in September, I'm sure you can remember / That's when all the stuff hit the fan (the stuff hit the fan) / You told me a lie, and you didn't have an alibi / But baby, yet I still cared

Usage notes

• A very good alibi might be described e.g. as perfect, watertight, airtight, solid or iron-clad.
• Some argue alibi should not be used colloquially to mean an explanation or excuse to avoid blame or justify action, since this sense is unrelated to the word's original meaning of elsewhere.

Derived terms

• alibi copy
• Alibi Ike
• alibiless
• nonalibi
• unalibied

Translations

criminal legal defense

• Arabic: دَفْع بِالْغَائِبَة m (dafʕ bi-l-ḡāʔiba), حُجَّة غِيَاب f (ḥujja(t) ḡiyāb)
• Armenian: ալիբի (hy) (alibi), այլուրեքություն (hy) (aylurekʻutʻyun)
• Belarusian: а́лібі n (álibi)
• Catalan: coartada
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不在場證明 / 不在场证明 (zh) (bùzàichǎng zhèngmíng)

• Czech: alibi (cs) n
• Danish: alibi (da)
• Dutch: alibi (nl) n
• Esperanto: alibio
• Finnish: alibi (fi)
• French: alibi (fr) m
• German: Alibi (de) n
• Greek: άλλοθι (el) n (állothi)
• Hungarian: alibi (hu)
• Icelandic: fjarvistarsönnun (is) f
• Indonesian: alibi (id)
• Italian: alibi (it) m
• Japanese: アリバイ (ja) (aribai), 現場不在証明 (げんじょうふざいしょうめい, genjōfuzaishōmei)
• Kannada: ಅಲಿಬಿ (alibi)
• Korean: 알리바이 (ko) (allibai), 알리비 (allibi)
• Lao: ຫຼັກຖານທີ່ຢູ່ (lak thān thī yū)
• Marathi: अन्यत्र उपस्थिति (anyatra upasthiti)
• Norwegian: alibi (no)
• Polish: alibi (pl) n
• Portuguese: álibi (pt) m
• Russian: а́либи (ru) n (álibi)
• Serbo-Croatian: alibi m
• Slovak: alibi n
• Spanish: coartada (es) f
• Swedish: alibi (sv) n
• Thai: หลักฐานที่อยู่

excuse

• Arabic: عُذْر m (ʕuḏr)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 藉口 / 借口 (zh) (jièkǒu)

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: veruke (fi)
• German: Alibi (de) n, Rechtfertigung (de) f, Ausrede (de) f, Entschuldigung (de) f
• Greek: άλλοθι (el) n (állothi), δικαιολογία (el) f (dikaiología)
• Italian: alibi (it) m
• Polish: alibi (pl) n
• Portuguese: desculpa (pt) f
• Spanish: excusa (es) f

Verb

alibi (third-person singular simple present alibis or alibies, present participle alibiing, simple past and past participle alibied)

1. (transitive) To provide an alibi for.
2. (transitive) To provide an excuse for.

See also

• Alibi on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Defense (legal) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Locked-room mystery on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Perfect murder on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• baili

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alibī.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaː.liˌbi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ali‧bi

Noun

alibi n or m (plural alibi's, diminutive alibietje n)

1. [[]]alibi

Descendants

• → Indonesian: alibi

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alibi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑlibi/, [ˈɑ̝libi]
• Rhymes: -ɑlibi
• Syllabification^(key): a‧li‧bi
• Hyphenation^(key): ali‧bi

Noun

alibi

1. alibi

Declension

Inflection of alibi (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		alibi	alibit
genitive		alibin	alibien
partitive		alibia	alibeja
illative		alibiin	alibeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		alibi	alibit
accusative	nom.	alibi	alibit
	gen.	alibin
genitive		alibin	alibien
partitive		alibia	alibeja
inessive		alibissa	alibeissa
elative		alibista	alibeista
illative		alibiin	alibeihin
adessive		alibilla	alibeilla
ablative		alibilta	alibeilta
allative		alibille	alibeille
essive		alibina	alibeina
translative		alibiksi	alibeiksi
abessive		alibitta	alibeitta
instructive		—	alibein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of alibi (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative alibini alibini accusative nom. alibini alibini gen. alibini genitive alibini alibieni partitive alibiani alibejani inessive alibissani alibeissani elative alibistani alibeistani illative alibiini alibeihini adessive alibillani alibeillani ablative alibiltani alibeiltani allative alibilleni alibeilleni essive alibinani alibeinani translative alibikseni alibeikseni abessive alibittani alibeittani instructive — — comitative — alibeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative alibisi alibisi accusative nom. alibisi alibisi gen. alibisi genitive alibisi alibiesi partitive alibiasi alibejasi inessive alibissasi alibeissasi elative alibistasi alibeistasi illative alibiisi alibeihisi adessive alibillasi alibeillasi ablative alibiltasi alibeiltasi allative alibillesi alibeillesi essive alibinasi alibeinasi translative alibiksesi alibeiksesi abessive alibittasi alibeittasi instructive — — comitative — alibeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative alibimme alibimme accusative nom. alibimme alibimme gen. alibimme genitive alibimme alibiemme partitive alibiamme alibejamme inessive alibissamme alibeissamme elative alibistamme alibeistamme illative alibiimme alibeihimme adessive alibillamme alibeillamme ablative alibiltamme alibeiltamme allative alibillemme alibeillemme essive alibinamme alibeinamme translative alibiksemme alibeiksemme abessive alibittamme alibeittamme instructive — — comitative — alibeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative alibinne alibinne accusative nom. alibinne alibinne gen. alibinne genitive alibinne alibienne partitive alibianne alibejanne inessive alibissanne alibeissanne elative alibistanne alibeistanne illative alibiinne alibeihinne adessive alibillanne alibeillanne ablative alibiltanne alibeiltanne allative alibillenne alibeillenne essive alibinanne alibeinanne translative alibiksenne alibeiksenne abessive alibittanne alibeittanne instructive — — comitative — alibeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative alibinsa alibinsa accusative nom. alibinsa alibinsa gen. alibinsa genitive alibinsa alibiensa partitive alibiaan alibiansa alibejaan alibejansa inessive alibissaan alibissansa alibeissaan alibeissansa elative alibistaan alibistansa alibeistaan alibeistansa illative alibiinsa alibeihinsa adessive alibillaan alibillansa alibeillaan alibeillansa ablative alibiltaan alibiltansa alibeiltaan alibeiltansa allative alibilleen alibillensa alibeilleen alibeillensa essive alibinaan alibinansa alibeinaan alibeinansa translative alibikseen alibiksensa alibeikseen alibeiksensa abessive alibittaan alibittansa alibeittaan alibeittansa instructive — — comitative — alibeineen alibeinensa

Further reading

• “alibi”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French alibi (14th c.), borrowed from Latin alibī.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.li.bi/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

alibi m (plural alibis or (archaic) alibi)

1. alibi

Further reading

• “alibi”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch alibi, from Latin alibī (“elsewhere, at another place”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈali.bi]
• Hyphenation: ali‧bi

Noun

alibi (plural alibi-alibi)

1. alibi:
   1. (law) the plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed
   2. (slang) excuse

      Synonym: alasan

Further reading

• “alibi” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alibi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.li.bi/
• Rhymes: -alibi
• Hyphenation: à‧li‧bi

Noun

alibi m (invariable)

1. alibi

Anagrams

• Libia, abili, bilia

Latin

Alternative forms

• aliubi (rare)

Etymology

From alius (“other, another”) +‎ ibī.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈa.lɪ.biː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈäː.li.bi]

Adverb

alibī (not comparable)

1. elsewhere, somewhere else

Related terms

Latin correlatives ^(edit)

type	demonstrative			anaphoric	identity	interrogative/ relative	indefinite					negative	other
	proximal	medial	distal				relative	indefinite	free choice	universal	negative polarity
basic	hic	iste, istic	ille, illic	is	ipse, īdem	quis/quī	quisquis, quīcumque	quis, quī, quīdam, aliquis, aliquī, quispiam	quīvis, quīlibet	quisque	quisquam, ūllus, °aliquisquam	nēmō, nihil, nūllus	alius
dual						uter	utercumque	alteruter	utervīs, uterlibet	uterque		neuter	alter
place	hīc	istīc	illīc	ibī̆	ibī̆dem	ubī̆	ubiubi, ubī̆cumque	alicubī, uspiam	ubivīs, ubilibet	ubīque	usquam	nusquam, nūllibī	alibī, aliās
source	hinc	istinc	illinc	inde	indidem	unde	undecumque, undeunde	alicunde	°undelibet	undique			aliunde
destination	hūc, °hōrsum	istūc, °istōrsum	illūc, °illōrsum	eō	eōdem	quō, quōrsum	quōquō, quōcumque	aliquō, quōpiam, °aliquōvorsum	quōvīs, quōlibet		quōquam	nusquam, nūllōrsum	aliō, aliōrsum
method, means, path, place	hāc	istāc	illāc	eā	eādem	quā	quāquā, quācumque	aliquā	quāvīs, quālibet	quāque		nēquāquam, haudquāquam	aliā
manner	hōc modō	istō modō	illō modō	ita, sīc, eō modō	item, itidem	ut, quī, quō modō, quōmodo, quemadmodum	utut, utcumque, quōmodocumque	quī, quōdam modō, aliquō modō	quōmodolibet	utīque	ūllō modō	nūllō modō	aliter, aliōquī, alterō/aliō modō
time	num, nunc		ōlim	tum, tunc	simul	quandō, ‡cum	cumque, quandōcumque, quandōque	quondam, aliquandō	quandōlibet	quandōque	umquam	numquam	aliās
quantity				tam	†tamen, †tandem	quam	†quamquam	aliquam	quamvīs, quamlibet
size				tantus	tantusdem	quantus	quantuscumque	aliquantus	quantusvīs, quantuslibet
quality				tālis		quālis	quālis, quāliscumque	aliquālis	quālislibet
number				tot	totidem	quot	quotquot, quotcumque	aliquot	quotlibet
order				totus		quotus	quotuscumque	aliquotus	quotuslibet
repetition				totiēns		quotiēns	quotiēnscumque	aliquotiēns	quotiēnslibet
multiplication				totuplex		quotuplex
† Turned conjunction with original meaning somewhat dissimulated ° Rare ‡only used as a conjunction, not as an interrogative

Descendants

• → English: alibi
• → Danish: alibi
• → Dutch: alibi
• → Finnish: alibi
• → French: alibi
• → German: Alibi
• → Italian: alibi
• → Norwegian: alibi
• → Polish: alibi (learned)
• → Portuguese: álibi
• → Romanian: alibi, aiurea
• → Russian: а́либи (álibi)
• → Spanish: álibi
• → Swedish: alibi

References

• “alibi”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “alibi”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• alibi in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin alibī. First attested in 1802.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈli.bi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ibi
• Syllabification: a‧li‧bi

Noun

alibi n (indeclinable)

1. (law) alibi (plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed)
2. (literary) alibi (excuse, especially one used to avoid responsibility or blame)

Derived terms

nouns

• alibista
• alibizm

Collocations

Collocations

• wygodne alibi ― a convenient alibi
• niezbite alibi ― an irrefutable alibi
• żelazne alibi ― an iron-clad/cast-iron alibi
• swoiste alibi ― a peculiar alibi
• stuprocentowe alibi ― an airtight alibi
• murowane alibi ― a rock-solid alibi
• wiarygodne alibi ― a credible alibi
• mocne alibi ― a strong alibi
• fałszywe alibi ― a false/fake alibi
• doskonałe alibi ― a perfect alibi
• świetne alibi ― a great alibi
• moralne alibi ― a moral alibi
• kiepskie alibi ― a lousy/flimsy alibi
• dobre alibi ― a good alibi
• znakomite alibi ― a great alibi
• sensowne alibi ― a sensible/logical alibi
• polityczne alibi ― a political alibi
• alibi oskarżonego/oskarżonej ― the accused's alibi
• mieć alibi ― to have alibi
• zapewnić/dostarczać/dostarczyć/podać alibi ― to provide an alibi
• szukać alibi ― to look for an alibi
• sprawdzać/sprawdzić alibi ― to verify/check an alibi
• stanowić alibi ― to be alibi
• stwarzać/stworzyć alibi ― to craft an alibi
• przedstawiać/przedstawić alibi ― to present an alibi
• obalić alibi ― to bust/crack/disprove an alibi
• dawać/dać alibi ― to give alibi
• potwierdzić alibi ― to confirm/corroborate alibi
• wymyślić alibi ― to come up with/think up/concoct an alibi
• stracić alibi ― to lose an alibi
• potrzebować alibi ― to need an alibi
• znaleźć alibi ― to find an alibi
• uzyskać alibi ― to get an alibi

Further reading

• alibi in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• alibi in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “alibi”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 24

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French alibi.

Noun

alibi n (plural alibiuri)

1. alibi

Declension

Declension of alibi

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	alibi	alibiul		alibiuri	alibiurile
genitive-dative	alibi	alibiului		alibiuri	alibiurilor
vocative	alibiule			alibiurilor

Rukai

Noun

alibi

1. stone tiles of a roof

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

àlībi m (Cyrillic spelling а̀лӣби)

1. alibi

Declension

Declension of alibi

	singular	plural
nominative	alibi	alibiji
genitive	alibija	alibija
dative	alibiju	alibijima
accusative	alibi	alibije
vocative	alibi	alibiji
locative	alibiju	alibijima
instrumental	alibijem	alibijima

Slovak

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alibī.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalibi/

Noun

alibi n

1. alibi

Declension

Indeclinable.

Further reading

• “alibi”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Swedish

Noun

alibi n

1. (law) alibi

   Hon saknar alibi för mordnatten

   She has no alibi for the night of the murder

2. (by extension) an alibi (excuse, more generally)

Declension

Declension of alibi

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	alibi	alibis
	definite	alibit	alibits
plural	indefinite	alibin	alibins
	definite	alibina	alibinas

References

• alibi in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• alibi in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• alibi in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)