Specious and Spurious

Grok Notes on the terms specious and spurious

Both relate to misleading or false appearances, but they have nuanced differences in their connotations and usage:

Specious

Appearing to be true or correct but actually false or misleading. 

Connotation:  Often used to describe arguments or reasoning that seem plausible at first glance but are flawed upon closer examination.  It suggests a veneer of truthfulness or attractiveness that hides a lack of substance or validity.  Example:  The theory might sound specious because it aligns with popular belief, but it lacks empirical evidence.

Spurious

Not genuine, authentic, or true; not coming from the claimed, pretended, or proper source.

Connotation:  This term often implies something that is not just misleading but also counterfeit or falsely attributed.  It can refer to data, correlations, or even connections that are not genuinely related or derived from legitimate sources.  Example:  The study was criticized for including spurious data that did not relate to the actual research question.

Key Differences

Source of Misleading Nature:  Specious often refers to the deceptive quality of an argument or appearance, where the misleading aspect comes from how it's presented.  Spurious more directly suggests falseness in origin or authenticity.

Context of Use:  While both can be used in contexts of argumentation, specious is particularly apt for discussing deceptive reasoning or logic, whereas spurious might be used more broadly to describe anything from data to connections that are not genuine.

In summary, while both words deal with deception, specious focuses on appearances or arguments that deceive due to their plausible facade, and spurious emphasizes the inauthenticity or falseness of something in its essence or origin.

(Grok)

Definitions:  specious, spurious

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