speciosity

English

Etymology

specio(u)s +‎ -ity, originated 1426–75 from Middle English speciosity (“attractiveness”), from Latin speciōsitās (“beauty”), from speciēs (“appearance”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌspiːʃiˈɒsɪti/
• Rhymes: -ɒsɪti

Noun

speciosity (countable and uncountable, plural speciosities)

1. (uncountable) The state or quality of being specious.
2. (countable, rare, chiefly in the plural) A specious action, promise, ideology, etc.
   • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. 8, The Electon”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):

     Till deep misery, if nothing softer will, have driven you out of your Speciosites into your Sincerities; and you find there either is a Godlike in the world, or else ye are an unintelligible madness;

References

• “speciosity”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
• “speciosity”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "speciosity" in the Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, MICRA, 1996, 1998.