excuse

American  

[ik-skyooz, ik-skyoos] / ɪkˈskyuz, ɪkˈskyus /

verb (used with object)

excused, excusing

1. to regard or judge with forgiveness or indulgence; pardon or forgive; overlook (a fault, error, etc.).

   Excuse his bad manners.

2. to offer an apology for; seek to remove the blame of.

   He excused his absence by saying that he was ill.

3. to serve as an apology or justification for; justify.

   Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

   Synonyms:

   palliate, extenuate

4. to release from an obligation or duty.

   to be excused from jury duty.

   Synonyms:

   free

5. to seek or obtain exemption or release for (oneself ).

   to excuse oneself from a meeting.

6. to refrain from exacting; remit; dispense with.

   to excuse a debt.

7. to allow (someone) to leave.

   If you'll excuse me, I have to make a telephone call.

---

noun

1. an explanation offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or for release from an obligation, promise, etc..

   His excuse for being late was unacceptable.

   Synonyms:

   justification

2. a ground or reason for excusing or being excused.

   Ignorance is no excuse.

3. the act of excusing someone or something.

4. a pretext or subterfuge.

   He uses his poor health as an excuse for evading all responsibility.

   Synonyms:

   makeshift, evasion, pretense

5. an inferior or inadequate specimen of something specified.

   That coward is barely an excuse for a man. Her latest effort is a poor excuse for a novel.

idioms

1. Excuse me, (used as a polite expression, as when addressing a stranger, when interrupting or disagreeing with someone, or to request repetition of what has just been said.)

excuse British  

verb

1. to pardon or forgive

   he always excuses her unpunctuality

2. to seek pardon or exemption for (a person, esp oneself)

   to excuse oneself for one's mistakes

3. to make allowances for; judge leniently

   to excuse someone's ignorance

4. to serve as an apology or explanation for; vindicate or justify

   her age excuses her behaviour

5. to exempt from a task, obligation, etc

   you are excused making breakfast

6. to dismiss or allow to leave

   he asked them to excuse him

7. to seek permission for (someone, esp oneself) to leave

   he excused himself and left

8. euphemistic to go to the lavatory

9. an expression used to catch someone's attention or to apologize for an interruption, disagreement, or social indiscretion

---

noun

1. an explanation offered in defence of some fault or offensive behaviour or as a reason for not fulfilling an obligation, etc

   he gave no excuse for his rudeness

2. informal an inferior example of something specified; makeshift; substitute

   she is a poor excuse for a hostess

3. the act of excusing

Related Words

Excuse, forgive, pardon imply being lenient or giving up the wish to punish. Excuse means to overlook some (usually) slight offense: to excuse bad manners. Forgive is applied to excusing more serious offenses: to forgive and forget. Pardon usually applies to a specific act of lenience or mercy by an official or superior: The governor was asked to pardon the condemned criminal. Excuse, apology both imply an explanation of some failure or failing. Excuse implies a desire to avoid punishment or rebuke. Apology usually implies acknowledgment that one has been in the wrong.

Other Word Forms

• excusable
  adjective
• excusableness
  noun
• excusably
  adverb
• excusal
  noun
• excuseless
  adjective
• excuser
  noun
• excusingly
  adverb
• excusive
  adjective
• excusively
  adverb
• nonexcusable
  adjective
• nonexcusableness
  noun
• nonexcusably
  adverb
• preexcuse
  verb (used with object)
• self-excuse
  noun
• self-excused
  adjective
• self-excusing
  adjective
• unexcusable
  adjective
• unexcusably
  adverb
• unexcused
  adjective
• unexcusing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of excuse

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English escusen, excusen, from Old French escuser, excuser, from Latin excūsāre “to put outside, exonerate,” equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + -cūsāre, derivative of causa cause; (noun) Middle English escuse, excuse, from Old French excuse, derivative of escuser, excuser

Explanation

An excuse is an explanation for something that went wrong. When we give an excuse, we're trying to get someone to cut us some slack. When you finish dinner and ask, "May I be excused?" you've used one of many meanings of this word. It’s generally a reason for behavior: A note from your parents saying you have a doctor’s appointment can excuse you from school for the day. If your dog is sick, he has an excuse for barfing in the house. But be careful — making excuses can get awfully close to whining.

Example Sentences

But good — even great — outcomes do not excuse a process that does not always seem to respect your time.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

I know what you’re going to say, and it’s no excuse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Investors looking for an excuse to take profit on semiconductor stocks might have just got one.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

They claimed they had a lawful excuse, telling the court it was a peaceful protest and the damage was minor.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

I couldn’t think of a single excuse for why I’d be out with seven chickens on a farm that looked—I’m sorry to say this—like it had been abandoned.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

Related Words

• acquit
• condone
• defend
• exempt
• exonerate
• explain
• forgive
• indulge
• let go
• pardon
• relieve
• spare
• tolerate