specious
pronunciation
How to pronounce specious in British English:
UK [ˈspi:ʃəs]
How to pronounce specious in American English:
US ['spiʃəs]
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- Adjective:
- plausible but false
- plausible but false
- based on pretense; deceptively pleasing
Word Origin
- specious (adj.)
- late 14c., "pleasing to the sight, fair," from Latin speciosus "good-looking, beautiful, fair," also "showy, pretended, plausible, specious," from species "appearance, form, figure, beauty" (see species). Meaning "seemingly desirable, reasonable or probable, but not really so; superficially fair, just, or correct" in English is first recorded 1610s. Related: Speciously; speciosity; speciousness.
Antonym
Example
- 1. Moreover even sophisticated statistical analysis can sometimes yield specious results .
- 2. An international regulator is better positioned to resist these often specious arguments .
- 3. What if its plans were blocked by a specious patent ?
- 4. The argument that the palestinians must resume negotiations before getting statehood is specious .
- 5. Piccinini explores what she calls the ' often specious distinctions between the artificial and the natural ' .