'Excuse' definitions:

Definition of 'excuse'

(from WordNet)
noun
A defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.; "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable" [syn: excuse, alibi, exculpation, self-justification]
noun
A note explaining an absence; "he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him"
noun
A poor example; "it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor excuse for an automobile" [syn: apology, excuse]
verb
Accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands" [syn: excuse, pardon]
verb
Grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this class" [syn: excuse, relieve, let off, exempt]
verb
Serve as a reason or cause or justification of; "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again" [syn: excuse, explain]
verb
Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning; "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success" [syn: apologize, apologise, excuse, justify, rationalize, rationalise]
verb
Ask for permission to be released from an engagement [syn: excuse, beg off]
verb
Excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with; "excuse someone's behavior"; "She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities" [syn: excuse, condone]

Definition of 'Excuse'

From: GCIDE
  • Excuse \Ex*cuse"\, n. [Cf. F. excuse. See Excuse, v. t.]
  • 1. The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; justification; extenuation. [1913 Webster]
  • Pleading so wisely in excuse of it. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. That which is offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or irregular deportment; apology; as, an excuse for neglect of duty; excuses for delay of payment. [1913 Webster]
  • Hence with denial vain and coy excuse. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault. "It hath the excuse of youth." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • If eyes were made for seeing. Then beauty is its own excuse for being. --Emerson.
  • Syn: See Apology. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Excuse'

From: GCIDE
  • Excuse \Ex*cuse"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Excused; p. pr. & vb. n. Excusing.] [OE. escusen, cusen, OF. escuser, excuser, F. excuser, fr. L. excusare; ex out + causa cause, causari to plead. See Cause.]
  • 1. To free from accusation, or the imputation of fault or blame; to clear from guilt; to release from a charge; to justify by extenuating a fault; to exculpate; to absolve; to acquit. [1913 Webster]
  • A man's persuasion that a thing is duty, will not excuse him from guilt in practicing it, if really and indeed it be against Gog's law. --Abp. Sharp. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To pardon, as a fault; to forgive entirely, or to admit to be little censurable, and to overlook; as, we excuse irregular conduct, when extraordinary circumstances appear to justify it. [1913 Webster]
  • I must excuse what can not be amended. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To regard with indulgence; to view leniently or to overlook; to pardon. [1913 Webster]
  • And in our own (excuse some courtly stains.) No whiter page than Addison remains. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To free from an impending obligation or duty; hence, to disengage; to dispense with; to release by favor; also, to remit by favor; not to exact; as, to excuse a forfeiture. [1913 Webster]
  • I pray thee have me excused. --xiv. 19. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for. [1913 Webster]
  • Think ye that we excuse ourselves to you? --2 Cor. xii. 19.
  • Syn: To vindicate; exculpate; absolve; acquit.
  • Usage: - To Pardon, Excuse, Forgive. A superior pardons as an act of mercy or generosity; either a superior or an equal excuses. A crime, great fault, or a grave offence, as one against law or morals, may be pardoned; a small fault, such as a failure in social or conventional obligations, slight omissions or neglects may be excused. Forgive relates to offenses against one's self, and punishment foregone; as, to forgive injuries or one who has injured us; to pardon grave offenses, crimes, and criminals; to excuse an act of forgetfulness, an unintentional offense. Pardon is also a word of courtesy employed in the sense of excuse. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'excuse'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Excuse'