Excuse

Quick meaning: Excuse is a verb meaning (transitive) To forgive; to pardon; to overlook.

Meaning

(transitive) To forgive; to pardon; to overlook.

More Meanings

1. (transitive) To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.
2. (transitive) To provide an excuse for; to justify.
3. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.
4. (countable, uncountable) An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.
5. (often with preceding negative adjective, especially sorry, poor, or lame) An example of something that is substandard or of inferior quality.
6. (law) A defense to a criminal or civil charge wherein the accused party admits to doing acts for which legal consequences would normally be appropriate, but asserts that special circumstances relieve that party of culpability for having done those acts.

Example Sentences

May I be excused from the table?

I excused him his transgressions.

They cannot be excusyd By reason nor by law; […]

I excused myself from the proceedings to think over what I'd heard.

Word Forms

• excuses
• excusing
• excused

Synonyms for excuse

Depending on context, synonyms include forgive, pardon, unguilt, plead, adduce, clear.

Antonyms for excuse

Common opposites include punish.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include pardon, condone, apologize, alibi, justify, relieve.

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