Speciousness

Speciousness
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. [1913 Webster]

Some [serpents] specious and beautiful to the eye. --Bp. Richardson. [1913 Webster]

The rest, far greater part, Will deem in outward rites and specious forms Religion satisfied. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

Misled for a moment by the specious names of religion, liberty, and property. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

In consequence of their greater command of specious expression. --J. Morley. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Plausible; showy; ostensible; colorable; feasible. See {Plausible}. [1913 Webster] -- {Spe"xious*ly}, adv. -- {Spe"cious*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • speciousness — specious ► ADJECTIVE 1) superficially plausible, but actually wrong. 2) misleading in appearance. DERIVATIVES speciously adverb speciousness noun. ORIGIN originally in the sense «beautiful»: from Latin speciosus fair, plausible …   English terms dictionary

  • speciousness — noun an appearance of truth that is false or deceptive; seeming plausibility the speciousness of his argument • Syn: ↑meretriciousness • Derivationally related forms: ↑meretricious (for: ↑meretriciousness), ↑specious …   Useful english dictionary

  • speciousness — noun see specious …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • speciousness — See speciously. * * * …   Universalium

  • speciousness — noun a) The state or quality of being specious. b) The result or product of being specious …   Wiktionary

  • speciousness — Synonyms and related words: acting, affectation, apparent character, apparent soundness, appearance, appearances, attitudinizing, bluff, bluffing, casuistry, cheating, circularity, color, coloring, deception, deceptiveness, delusion, disguise,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • speciousness — (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun Plausible but invalid reasoning: casuistry, fallacy, sophism, sophistry, spuriousness. See CORRECT, TRUE …   English dictionary for students

  • speciousness — spe·cious·ness || spɪːʃəsnɪs n. quality of being specious, state of having the appearance of truth while in actuality being false; state of being deceptively appealing …   English contemporary dictionary

  • speciousness — spe·cious·ness …   English syllables

  • meretriciousness — noun 1. an appearance of truth that is false or deceptive; seeming plausibility the speciousness of his argument • Syn: ↑speciousness • Derivationally related forms: ↑meretricious, ↑specious (for: ↑speciousness) …   Useful english dictionary

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