spurious justification

[ˈspjʊəriəs ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən]
noun phrasepl: spurious justifications
justificativa espúria
1. A false, invalid, or misleading reason offered to support or explain an action, belief, or decision that lacks genuine merit or authenticity
The company offered spurious justifications for the layoffs, claiming budget constraints when profits had actually increased.
A empresa ofereceu justificativas espúrias para as demissões, alegando restrições orçamentárias quando os lucros na verdade haviam aumentado.
2. An apparently reasonable explanation that is actually deceptive or based on faulty reasoning
His spurious justification for being late was that the traffic was unusually heavy, though he hadn't even left on time.
Sua justificativa espúria para chegar atrasado foi que o trânsito estava incomumente pesado, embora ele nem tivesse saído no horário certo.
In Brazilian business and political contexts, 'justificativa espúria' is commonly used in critical discourse to expose dishonest explanations from corporations or government officials. In American English, this phrase is frequently employed in academic, legal, and journalistic settings to highlight logical fallacies or deceptive arguments.
NYC Slang
bogus excuse; phony reason; BS explanation
Synonyms / Sinônimos
false justificationphony excuseinvalid reasoningbogus explanationcontrived rationalespecious argumentmanufactured excuse
Antonyms / Antônimos
valid justificationgenuine reasonlegitimate explanationauthentic excusesound reasoning

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
justificativa espúria
standard usage in formal and informal contexts
Rio de Janeiro
justificativa furada
more colloquial, 'furada' meaning 'full of holes' or flawed
São Paulo
justificativa falsa
direct, straightforward translation commonly used
Portugal
justificação espúria
similar to Brazilian but uses 'justificação' instead of 'justificativa'

Related Words

fallacious reasoningpretensedeceptionrationalizationpretextsophistryrationalize

Related Idioms & Phrases

a thin excuse
a lame justification
a transparent lie
hollow reasoning
make excuses
give someone the runaround
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