Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
specious - 6 dictionary results

spe⋅cious

  [spee-shuhs]
Use specious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible: specious arguments.
2. pleasing to the eye but deceptive.
3. Obsolete. pleasing to the eye; fair.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L speciōsus fair, good-looking, beautiful, equiv. to speci(ēs) (see species ) + -ōsus -ous

Related forms:
spe⋅cious⋅ly, adverb
spe⋅cious⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. See plausible. 2. false, misleading.

Antonyms:
1, 2. genuine.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To specious
spe·cious   (spē'shəs)   
adj.  
  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious: a specious argument.
  2. Deceptively attractive.

[Middle English, attractive, from Latin speciōsus, from speciēs, appearance; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
spe'cious·ly adv., spe'ci·os'i·ty (-shē-ŏs'ĭ-tē), spe'cious·ness (-shəs-nĭs) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Main Entry:  specious1
Part of Speech:  adj
Definition:  showily beautiful or attractive
Etymology:  Latin specissus 'beautiful, plausible'
Main Entry:  specious2
Part of Speech:  adj
Definition:  plausible but not true; based on pretense; sophistic
Etymology:  Latin specissus 'beautiful, plausible'
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2009 Dictionary.com, LLC
Cite This Source

Specious

Spe"cious\, a. [L. speciosusgood-looking, beautiful, specious, fr. species look, show, appearance; cf. F. sp['e]coeux. See Species.]

1. Presenting a pleasing appearance; pleasing in form or look; showy.

Some [serpents] specious and beautiful to the eye. --Bp. Richardson.

The rest, far greater part, Will deem in outward rites and specious forms Religion satisfied. --Milton.

2. Apparently right; superficially fair, just, or correct, but not so in reality; appearing well at first view; plausible; as, specious reasoning; a specious argument.

Misled for a moment by the specious names of religion, liberty, and property. --Macaulay.

In consequence of their greater command of specious expression. --J. Morley.

Syn: Plausible; showy; ostensible; colorable; feasible. See Plausible. -- Spe"xious*ly, adv. -- Spe"cious*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source

specious 
c.1400, "pleasing to the sight, fair," from L. speciosus "good-looking, beautiful," from species "appearance" (see species). Meaning "seemingly desirable, reasonable or probable, but not really so" is first recorded 1612.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see specious on Thesaurus | Reference