excuse

English Dictionary -> Letter E -> excuse

Search Dictionary:

excuse Definition

• (n) 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"
• (n) a note explaining an absence; "he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him"
• (n) a poor example; "it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor excuse for an automobile"
• (v) accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands"
• (v) grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this class"
• (v) 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 amy explain her reluctance to date again"
• (v) defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning; "rationalize the child''s seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success"
• (v) ask for permission to be released from an engagement
• (v) excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with; "excuse someone''s behavior"; "She condoned her husband''s occasional infidelities"

excuse Synonyms

• alibi
• apologise
• apologize
• apology
• beg off
• condone
• exculpation
• excuse
• exempt
• explain
• justify
• let off
• pardon
• rationalise
• rationalize
• relieve
• self-justification