Nearby Words
| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, explanation |
| Synonyms: | alibi, apology, cleanup, cop-out, cover story, cover*, coverup, defense, disguise, evasion, expedient, extenuation, fish story, grounds, jive, justification, makeshift, mitigation, plea, pretext, rationalization, regrets, routine, semblance, shift, song and dance, song*, stall, stopgap, story, substitute, subterfuge, trick*, vindication, whitewash, why and wherefore |
| Notes: | an alias is an assumed name, an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed, while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness a pardon is the act of excusing a mistake or offense; an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Concept: | [Ostensible motive, ground, or reason assigned] Pretext. |
| Category: | 2. Causes of volition |
| Synonyms: |
-nouns
pretext, pretense, pretension, plea; allegation, advocation; ostensible motive, subterfuge, obtensible ground, obtensible reason, phony reason; excuse (vindication); color; gloss, guise, cover., loophole, starting hole; how to creep out of, salvo, come off; way of escape., handle, peg to hang on, room, locus standi; stalking-horse, cheval de bataille, cue., pretense (untruth); put off, dust thrown in the eyes; blind; moonshine; mere pretext, shallow pretext; lame excuse, lame apology; tub to a whale; false plea, sour grapes; makeshift, shift, white lie; special pleading (sophistry); soft sawder (flattery).
-verbs
pretend, plead, allege; shelter oneself under the plea of; excuse (vindicate); lend a color to; furnish a handle; make a pretext of, make a handle of; use as a plea; take one's stand upon, make capital out of , pretend (lie) [more].
-adjectives
ostensibly (manifest); alleged, apologetic; pretended.
-adverbs
ostensibly; under color; under the plea, under the pretense of, under the guise of.
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