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The Daily Insight

What is the specious mean

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Mar 03, 2026

Definition of specious 1 : having a false look of truth or genuineness : sophistic specious reasoning. 2 : having deceptive attraction or allure. 3 obsolete : showy.

What is specious example?

Specious is defined as something that looks right, or that looks attractive, but is not as it seems. An argument that seems correct only if you do not think about it very carefully is an example of a specious argument. adjective. Seemingly well-reasoned, plausible or true, but actually fallacious.

What are specious arguments?

Specious reasoning is any argument or analysis that has the apparent ring of truth or plausibility but is actually incomplete, deceptive, or even altogether fallacious. Such arguments are attractive because they are seemingly well-reasoned or factual. They can be deceptively persuasive.

What is a specious person?

adj. 1 apparently correct or true, but actually wrong or false. 2 deceptively attractive in appearance.

What is a specious claim?

seeming to be right or true, but really wrong or false: a specious argument/claim.

How do you use specious?

  1. The intruder tried to give the authorities a specious excuse regarding his presence in the building.
  2. Although he could not deliver on them, the salesman made us several specious promises.
  3. Several weight loss products on the market make specious claims as to their effectiveness.

What is a synonym for specious?

plausible but wrong, seemingly correct, misleading, deceptive, false, fallacious, unsound, casuistic, sophistic.

How do you use the word specious in a sentence?

  1. This argument is rather specious than sound. …
  2. William of Orange was not deceived by the specious temporizing of the king. …
  3. But Mary had, under a specious pretext, recommenced to a slight extent the evil practice, and Elizabeth had gone a little further in the same direction.

What is a specious statement?

Noun. 1. specious argument – an argument that appears good at first view but is really fallacious. argument, statement – a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true; “it was a strong argument that his hypothesis was true” vicious circle – an argument that assumes that which is to be proved.

What does it mean to be factitious?

factitious • \fak-TISH-us\ • adjective. 1 : produced by humans rather than by natural forces 2 a : formed by or adapted to an artificial or conventional standard b : produced by special effort : sham.

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What is a fallacious person?

Something fallacious is a mistake that comes from too little information or unsound sources. … Fallacious comes ultimately from the Latin fallax, “deceptive.” The word fallacious might describe an intentional deception or a false conclusion coming from bad science or incomplete understanding.

What does manifest mean in history?

historical usage of manifest The Latin sense of manifestus “evident, plain to see” is the earliest sense in English. The Latin verb manifestāre “to make visible, indicate, make plain, disclose,” a derivative of manifestus, is, along with the Middle French verb manifester, the source of the English verb.

What is the difference between specious and spurious?

While we might use either word to modify argument, a spurious argument would be based on an illegitimate set of reasons, and a specious argument would be one that has an attractive appearance but is less plausible than it initially appears.

What is the opposite of specious?

specious. Antonyms: inadmissible, self-contradictory, absurd, unreasonable. Synonyms: plausible, showy, ostensible, colorable, fair-spoken.

What does specious mean in Lord of the Flies?

6. specious. deceptively pleasing. Ralph had been deceived before now by the specious appearance of depth in a beach pool and he approached this one preparing to be disappointed.

Who is a frivolous man?

self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose. (of a person) given to trifling or undue levity: a frivolous, empty-headed person.

What does specious nonsense mean?

plausible but false; based on pretense; deceptively pleasing: His incorrect conclusion arose from specious reasoning.

Which word does not mean specious?

The word ‘tiny‘ does not mean ‘spacious’.

What is the synonym of riddle?

Some common synonyms of riddle are enigma, mystery, problem, and puzzle.

How do you use the word spurious in a sentence?

  1. After receiving a low appraisal on my diamond ring, I realized the suspicious-looking jeweler had sold me a spurious jewel.
  2. The con artist made a spurious claim about being a member of the royal family.

What does specious guile mean?

adjective. apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible: specious arguments. pleasing to the eye but deceptive.

What is specious guile?

cunning (shrewdness and cleverness) and deceitful. Isn’t that young lady Polly Simpson?” asked Jimmy, with specious guile.

What is the term for a complex condition that causes a predictable set of symptoms?

Factitious disorder is a mental disorder in which a person acts as if they have a physical or psychological illness when they themselves have created the symptoms.

What is a factious spirit?

adj given to, producing, or characterized by faction.

Which idea from hackers the Internet's immune system supports the presenter's claim that the world is a better place because of hackers?

The presenter of “Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System” proposes the idea that the world needs hackers because they publicize important information. What textual evidence supports this statement? They’ve uncovered corruption, abuse.

What is the difference between abusive and circumstantial ad hominem?

Abusive – This is where the person is directly attacked. (i.e. This is why a woman shouldn’t do a man’s job.) Circumstantial – Personal circumstances motivate a person’s argument, so it must be false.

What is the false dilemma fallacy?

A false dilemma, also referred to as false dichotomy, is an informal fallacy based on a premise that erroneously limits what options are available. The source of the fallacy lies not in an invalid form of inference but in a false premise. … False dilemmas are usually discussed in terms of deductive arguments.

What do you call arguments that appear to be correct?

A fallacious argument may be deceptive by appearing to be better than it really is. … Some fallacies are committed intentionally to manipulate or persuade by deception, while others are committed unintentionally due to carelessness or ignorance.

What does the Bible say about manifest?

It ignores the sovereignty of God. When we engage in manifestation, we are placing more faith in our own thoughts instead of seeking God’s Will for our situation. Yet, we know from Proverbs 3:5 that we should place our trust in God above our own understanding.

What's the difference between manifest and manifesto?

Manifesto is related to manifest, which occurs in English as a noun, verb, and adjective. … Something that is manifest is easy to perceive or recognize, and a manifesto is a statement in which someone makes his or her intentions or views easy for people to ascertain.

What is manifesting and how does it work?

Essentially, manifestation is bringing something tangible into your life through attraction and belief, i.e. if you think it, and it will come. However, there is more to manifestation than willpower and positive thinking.