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Difference between "alibi" and "excuse"? English Edification Enrichment




What is the difference between "alibi" and "excuse"?
The "a" in the first syllable of "alibi" is pronounced like the "a" in "cat", "bat", and "hat". The first "i" is like the "a" in "china", while the second "i" is like the "y" in "by" and "my". The stress is on the first syllable.
The word "alibi" is generally used in law. An alibi is an argument or a defence, which shows that an individual couldn't have committed the crime that he/she has been accused of. Let's suppose the police arrest you because they suspect that you were involved in a bank robbery. You need to prove that you didn't do it. If you can prove you weren't in town when the crime took place, then that will become your alibi. Or if a friend vouches that you were with him when the bank was being robbed, then he/she becomes your alibi.
Here are a few examples,
* The Minister has an alibi — he was in Malaysia when his rival was murdered.
* The police did not expect the driver to have an alibi — unfortunately, he did.
One usually gives an alibi in order to escape a punishment or blame of some kind. When used in this sense, the word does not have a negative connotation. The word "excuse", on the other hand, does. When someone says, "That's just an excuse" what he is implying is that the reason given is unsatisfactory or untrue. In informal contexts, the word "alibi" is used to mean "excuse". This is particularly true in American English.
* Bulla, what is your alibi for not doing your homework?
* Don't offer any alibis for losing the match.
Some people object to this use of the word "alibi"; they feel that it is non-standard. But the point is native speakers of English use "alibi" and "excuse" interchangeably in informal contexts.

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