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Speciously: meaning, definitions and examples

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speciously

 

[ ˈspē-shəs-lē ]

Adverb
Context #1 | Adverb

argument analysis

The term 'speciously' refers to something that appears to be true or valid at first glance but is actually misleading or deceptive upon closer examination. It is often used in discussions of arguments, reasoning, or statements that seem plausible but lack real evidence or sound logic. The word emphasizes the superficial attractiveness of an idea that masks its underlying flaws or fallacies.

Synonyms

apparently, deceptively, misleadingly

Examples of usage

  • He made a speciously convincing argument.
  • The claims in the advertisement were speciously exaggerated.
  • Their speciously logical reasoning fell apart under scrutiny.

Translations

Translations of the word "speciously" in other languages:

🇵🇹 especiosamente

🇮🇳 भ्रामक रूप से

🇩🇪 scheinbar

🇮🇩 secara spekulatif

🇺🇦 містично

🇵🇱 pozornie

🇯🇵 見かけ上

🇫🇷 spécieusement

🇪🇸 especiosamente

🇹🇷 görünüşte

🇰🇷 겉보기에는

🇸🇦 بشكل زائف

🇨🇿 zdánlivě

🇸🇰 zdánlivo

🇨🇳 貌似地

🇸🇮 na videz

🇮🇸 yfirlitslega

🇰🇿 көрінетін

🇬🇪 გარეგნული

🇦🇿 görünüşdə

🇲🇽 especiosamente

Etymology

The word 'specious' originated from the Latin term 'speciosus', which means 'beautiful' or 'fair', derived from 'species' meaning 'appearance' or 'form'. This evolved into the modern English 'specious', which began to appear in written English from the early 17th century. The adverb 'speciously' came into use later to describe actions, arguments, or statements that are superficially appealing yet lack real integrity or validity. The concept of being 'specious' reflects a longstanding philosophical interest in the distinction between appearance versus reality, indicating how easily one can be misled by how things seem. Over the years, the term has often been used in critical discussions of logic, philosophy, and rhetoric, particularly in contexts where persuasion is leveraged through fallacious reasoning.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #38,515, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.