excuse

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To forgive; to pardon; to overlook.
2. (transitive) To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.
3. (transitive) 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. (countable, uncountable) An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.
2. (countable, uncountable) 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. (countable, often, uncountable) An example of something that is substandard or of inferior quality.

Synonyms

pardon

forgive

pretext

apology

justification

justify

plea

exempt

condone

reason

alibi

pretence

pretense

defense

apologize

defence

absolve

explanation

relieve

exculpation

release

remit

ground

vindicate

let off

evasion

explain

apologise

motive

validate

self-justification

explain away

subterfuge

exonerate

exculpate

argument

vindication

proof

chance

🎲

rationalise

overlook

blind

description

occasion

rationalize

gloss

beg off

forgiveness

foundation

impetus

Translations

excuser

excuse

Ausrede

scusa

scusare

Entschuldigung

prétexte

pardonner

entschuldigen

excusar

perdonare

verzeihen

Ausflucht

Vorwand

justifier

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪkˈskjuːz/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: excusen

In summary

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”).