excuse

Meaning

Verb

1. To forgive; to pardon; to overlook.
2. To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.
3. To provide an excuse for; to justify.
4. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.

Noun

1. Explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.
2. A defense to a criminal or civil charge wherein the accused party admits to doing acts for which legal consequences would normally be appropriate, but asserts that special circumstances relieve that party of culpability for having done those acts.
3. An example of something that is substandard or of inferior quality.

Synonyms

pardon

forgive

pretext

apology

justify

justification

plea

condone

exempt

reason

alibi

pretense

pretence

defense

apologize

explanation

absolve

defence

release

relieve

exculpation

remit

ground

vindicate

let off

evasion

explain

vindication

apologise

self-justification

subterfuge

argument

validate

motive

exculpate

exonerate

explain away

description

chance

🎲

overlook

cue

grant forgiveness

blind

complaint

impetus

commentary

start

stalking-horse

spare

proof

forgiveness

dismiss

basis

comment

make an apology

rationalise

rationalize

gloss

beg off

exposition

foundation

warrant

occasion

cop-out

prevent

proscription

pull away

pull back

pull out

recede

regrets

relent

remission

report

report card

reprieve

retire

retract

retreat

retrograde

rid

runaround

send away

shield

🛡️

shift

strawman

straw man

substantiate

substantiation

supplement

support

testimony

tolerate

trick

tusk

veto

walk-through

way out

withdraw

say sorry

backpedal

construal

frank

make excuses

move back

old story

prohibition

refrain from

shrink from

show mercy

give a holiday to

show mercy to

seal of approval

one’s say

one’s point

disculpate

ask for forgiveness

acknowledgment of error

begging pardon

give reasons

defense team

come-off

basis,

soften down

abstain from

accessory

account

account for

accounting

addition

affirmation

allow

apologia

appendage

appendix

attestation

avoid

back down

be

beg your pardon

cause

certificate

circumstantiate

clarify

color

colour

complement

condonation

cringe

deliver

demonstration

deny

deprecation

diploma

disallowance

discharge

dispense

dispense with

dupe

ebb away

elucidation

evasive answer

evidence

excusableness

excusing

explication

extenuate

extenuation

extricate

fiddle

found

free

🆓

front man

guarantee

guise

however

legitimize

make out

mercy

monstrance

motivate

nonetheless

opportunity

oppose

out

palliate

prevarication

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪkˈskjuːz/

Etymology

From Middle English excusen (verb) and excuse (noun), borrowed from Old French escuser (verb) and excuse (noun), from Latin excūsō, excūsāre (“to excuse, allege in excuse, literally, free from a charge”), from ex (“out”) + causa (“a charge”); see cause, accuse and recuse. Displaced native Old English lād (“an excuse”) and lādian (“to excuse”).