excuse Hear it!

excuse definition

ex·cuse (ek skyo̵̅o̅z′, ik-; for n., -skyo̵̅o̅s′)

transitive verb excused -·cused′, excusing -·cus′·ing

  1. to try to free (a person) of blame; seek to exonerate
  2. to try to minimize or pardon (a fault); apologize or give reasons for
  3. to consider (an offense or fault) as not important; overlook; pardon excuse my rudeness
  4. to release from an obligation, duty, promise, etc.
  5. to permit to leave
  6. to serve as an explanation or justification for; justify; exculpate; absolve a selfish act that nothing will excuse

Etymology: ME excusen < OFr escuser & L excusare, to free from a charge < L ex-, from + causa, a charge: see cause

noun

  1. a plea in defense of or explanation for some action or behavior; apology
  2. a release from obligation, duty, etc.
  3. something that excuses; extenuating or justifying factor
  4. a pretended reason for conduct; pretext
excuse Idioms

a poor excuse for

or a bad excuse for
a very inferior example of

excuse oneself

  1. to ask that one's fault be overlooked; apologize
  2. to ask for permission to leave

make one's excuses

to express one's regret over not being able to attend a social gathering, etc.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

law excuse definition - legal

excuse Synonyms

excuse

n.

  1. An explanation

    apology, reason, defense; see explanation 2, justification.

  2. A pretended reason

    pretext, subterfuge, trick; see pretense 1, 2.

a poor excuse for

makeshift, sorry specimen, inferior example, mediocrity; see substitute.

make one's excuses

send regrets, beg off, apologize, offer an explanation; see apologize, refuse.


excuse

v.

pardon, forgive, justify, discharge, vindicate, apologize for, release, free, set free, overlook, exempt, mitigate, extenuate, palliate, rationalize, acquit, condone, reprieve, remit, absolve, exonerate, exculpate, clear of, shrive, grant absolution, pass over, look the other way, shrug off, give as an excuse, make excuses for, make allowances for, make apologies for, let off, let go, permit to leave, dispense with, grant remission, remit a penalty for, grant amnesty, blot out one's sins, expunge the record of, purge, provide with an alibi, plead ignorance, whitewash*, let off the hook*, let off easy*, let off scot-free*, wink at*, wipe the slate clean*, take the rap for*, alibi*.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

excuse Usage Examples

Object

  • pun: I must admit that I haven't tackled ( excuse the pun!

Converse of object

  • invent: Again he paused, and I could see that he was trying to invent an excuse.

Adjective modifier

  • lame: And just in case you think that's a thoroughly lame excuse, we're not talking about the Queen Mother.

Noun used with modifier

  • membersthat: For hourly employees address three basic medicare-active membersthat excuse it is blue cross blue shield of north carolina health insurance quote the.

Preposition: of

  • ignorance: It's a good thing that we get to see what's going on there so we don't have the excuse of ignorance.

Preposition: for

  • inaction: See also, answers to Question 8. One of the biggest barriers is the cycle of blame used as an excuse for inaction.
excuse usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

excuse quotes

Oh, the holiness of always being the injured party. The historically oppressed can find not only sanctity but safety in the state of victimization.When access to a better life has been denied often enough, and successfully enough, one can use the rejection as an excuse to cease all efforts.

-Angelou, Maya originally MayaJohnson

Today I see more clearly than yesterday that back of the problem of race and color, lies a greater problem which both obscures and implements it: and that isthefact that so many civilized persons are willing to live in comfort even if the price of this is poverty, ignorance and disease of the majority of their fellowmen; that to maintain this privilege men have waged war until today war tends to become universal and continuous, and the excuse for this war continues largely to be color and race.

-Du Bois,W(illiam) E(dward) B(urghardt)

Excuse My Dust.

-Parker, Dorothy ne¤  e Rothschild

excuse quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"excuse." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/excuse>

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excuse. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/excuse

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