excuse

Pluralexcuses

Formsexcuses, excusing, excused

1. 1
   pleanouncountable

   A reason or explanation offered to avoid or lessen blame, or to justify not doing something.

   Like a smokescreen thrown up to hide who's really at fault.

   He invented a convincing excuse to skip the family dinner.

   The board dismissed his excuses as feeble attempts to dodge responsibility.

   UsageUsually make an excuse or make excuses, with for before the thing: no excuse for being late.

   Similarpretext, justification, explanation, alibi, reason

   Note

   Tyndale's 1526 New Testament has guests who all begin to make excuse, with no article. Modern English says make an excuse, or uses the plural, as in I don't want to hear any excuses. The word easily suggests a flimsy reason, which is why people say just an excuse or a lame excuse.

2. 2
   free from dutyverbtransitive

   To allow someone to leave, or to release them from a duty or obligation.

   The judge agreed to excuse the juror from further service.

   The officer excused the recruits from the morning drill.

   UsageUsually excuse someone from a duty or be excused from something; excuse yourself means to leave politely.

   Similarrelease, exempt, dismiss, relieve, free

   Note

   Here the release is from a place or a duty rather than from a fault. To excuse oneself in this way is to leave politely or to bow out of a task, not to defend oneself, unlike the justifying sense.

3. 3
   overlook a faultverbtransitive

   To forgive or overlook a fault or wrongdoing.

   I hope you'll excuse the delay in my reply.

   The teacher excused the interruption and continued the lesson.

   UsageOften excuse someone for doing something, or excuse a fault with a possessive: excuse my handwriting, excuse him for being late.

   Similarforgive, pardon, overlook, tolerate

   Oppositecondemn, blame, punish

   Note

   The core verb keeps its Latin logic closest. Latin excusare meant "to free from a charge," from ex "out" and causa "a charge," the same causa behind accuse. To excuse someone is to let them out of the accusation. It can take two objects, as in an old-fashioned excuse me my rudeness. Shakespeare's Coriolanus ties it to what cannot be amended: you excuse what you cannot fix. Source

   Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

   • Latin excusare meant to free from a charge. en.wiktionary.org
   • The Latin verb derives from ex meaning out and causa meaning a charge. en.wiktionary.org
   • Accuse also derives ultimately from Latin causa. en.wiktionary.org
   • Excuse permits a construction with two objects. en.wiktionary.org
   • William Shakespeare wrote Coriolanus. en.wikipedia.org
   • Coriolanus connects excusing with something that cannot be amended; Aufidius speaks the relevant lines. folgerdigitaltexts.org
4. 4
   verbtransitive

   To make a fault or wrong action seem less bad, either by giving reasons for it or by being such a reason.

   Poverty may explain the theft but cannot excuse it.

   Stress excused none of his harsh words to the staff.

   UsageOften in negatives (nothing can excuse, cannot excuse) and set against explain: a cause may explain an act without excusing it.

   Note

   Here the excusing is done by reasons, whether someone offers them or circumstances supply them. The forgiving sense needs someone willing to pardon. This one asks whether the act can be justified. John Skelton, writing around 1503–1512, speaks of clergy who cannot be excused by reason nor by law.

5. 5
   poor examplenouncountable

   A markedly poor or inferior example of something, falling far short of what it should be.

   The drafty cabin was a poor excuse for a vacation home.

   Critics called the sequel a feeble excuse for a film.

   UsageUsually a poor excuse for, a sorry excuse for or a pathetic excuse for something or someone.

   Similartravesty

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