excuse

[ verb ik-skyooz; noun ik-skyoos ]

verb (used with object)

, ex·cused, ex·cus·ing.

1. to regard or judge with forgiveness or indulgence; pardon or forgive; overlook (a fault, error, etc.):

   Excuse his bad manners.

2. to offer an apology for; seek to remove the blame of:

   He excused his absence by saying that he was ill.

3. to serve as an apology or justification for; justify:

   Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

   Synonyms: palliate, extenuate

4. to release from an obligation or duty:

   to be excused from jury duty.

   Synonyms: free

5. to seek or obtain exemption or release for (oneself ):

   to excuse oneself from a meeting.

6. to refrain from exacting; remit; dispense with:

   to excuse a debt.

7. to allow (someone) to leave:

   If you'll excuse me, I have to make a telephone call.

noun

1. an explanation offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or for release from an obligation, promise, etc.:

   His excuse for being late was unacceptable.

   Synonyms: justification

2. a ground or reason for excusing or being excused:

   Ignorance is no excuse.

3. the act of excusing someone or something.
4. a pretext or subterfuge:

   He uses his poor health as an excuse for evading all responsibility.

   Synonyms: makeshift, evasion, pretense

5. an inferior or inadequate specimen of something specified:

   That coward is barely an excuse for a man. Her latest effort is a poor excuse for a novel.

excuse

verb

1. to pardon or forgive

   he always excuses her unpunctuality

2. to seek pardon or exemption for (a person, esp oneself)

   to excuse oneself for one's mistakes

3. to make allowances for; judge leniently

   to excuse someone's ignorance

4. to serve as an apology or explanation for; vindicate or justify

   her age excuses her behaviour

5. to exempt from a task, obligation, etc

   you are excused making breakfast

6. to dismiss or allow to leave

   he asked them to excuse him

7. to seek permission for (someone, esp oneself) to leave

   he excused himself and left

8. be excused euphemistic.
   to go to the lavatory
9. excuse me!
   an expression used to catch someone's attention or to apologize for an interruption, disagreement, or social indiscretion

noun

1. an explanation offered in defence of some fault or offensive behaviour or as a reason for not fulfilling an obligation, etc

   he gave no excuse for his rudeness

2. informal.
   an inferior example of something specified; makeshift; substitute

   she is a poor excuse for a hostess

3. the act of excusing

Derived Forms

• exˈcusable, adjective
• exˈcusably, adverb
• exˈcusableness, noun

Other Words From

• ex·cusa·ble adjective
• ex·cusa·ble·ness noun
• ex·cusa·bly adverb
• ex·cusal noun
• ex·cuseless adjective
• ex·cuser noun
• ex·cusing·ly adverb
• ex·cusive adjective
• ex·cusive·ly adverb
• nonex·cusa·ble adjective
• nonex·cusa·ble·ness noun
• nonex·cusa·bly adverb
• preex·cuse verb (used with object) preexcused preexcusing
• self-ex·cuse noun
• self-ex·cused adjective
• self-ex·cusing adjective
• unex·cusa·ble adjective
• unex·cusa·bly adverb
• unex·cused adjective
• unex·cusing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of excuse¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English escusen, excusen, from Old French escuser, excuser, from Latin excūsāre “to put outside, exonerate,” equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + -cūsāre, derivative of causa cause; (noun) Middle English escuse, excuse, from Old French excuse, derivative of escuser, excuser

Word History and Origins

Origin of excuse¹

C13: from Latin excusāre, from ex- ¹+ -cūsare, from causa cause, accusation

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. Excuse me, (used as a polite expression, as when addressing a stranger, when interrupting or disagreeing with someone, or to request repetition of what has just been said.)

Synonym Study

Excuse, forgive, pardon imply being lenient or giving up the wish to punish. Excuse means to overlook some (usually) slight offense: to excuse bad manners. Forgive is applied to excusing more serious offenses: to forgive and forget. Pardon usually applies to a specific act of lenience or mercy by an official or superior: The governor was asked to pardon the condemned criminal. Excuse, apology both imply an explanation of some failure or failing. Excuse implies a desire to avoid punishment or rebuke. Apology usually implies acknowledgment that one has been in the wrong.

Example Sentences

“Prisons are complex places and there can be no place or excuse for corrupt staff,” he says.

From BBC

Just like the never-ending photo prompts we see on X today, this functioned as an excuse for people to share old photos of themselves.

From Slate

She said high staff turnover in the hospitality industry could make consistent training challenging, but added this was no excuse.

From BBC

She made an excuse to get out and called the police who, hours later, arrested him.

From BBC

In an interview with the conservative law professor Josh Blackman published on Monday, Ho sketched out his excuse to repudiate birthright citizenship by framing immigrants who lack permanent legal status as “invading aliens” whose children born on U.S. soil may be denied citizenship by states and the federal government.

From Slate

Related Words

• acquit
• condone
• defend
• exempt
• exonerate
• explain
• forgive
• indulge
• let go
• pardon
• relieve
• spare
• tolerate