excuse

1 of 2

verb

ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüz How to pronounce excuse (audio)
 imperatively often  ˈskyüz
excused; excusing

transitive verb

1
a
: to make apology for
b
: to try to remove blame from
2
: to forgive entirely or disregard as of trivial import : regard as excusable
graciously excused his tardiness
3
a
: to grant exemption or release to
was excused from jury duty
b
: to allow to leave
excused the class
4
: to serve as excuse for : justify
nothing can excuse such neglect
excusable adjective
excusableness noun
excusably adverb
excuser noun

excuse

2 of 2

noun

ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüs How to pronounce excuse (audio)
1
: the act of excusing
2
a
: something offered as justification or as grounds for being excused
b
excuses plural : an expression of regret for failure to do something
c
: a note of explanation of an absence
3
Choose the Right Synonym for excuse

Verb

excuse, condone, pardon, forgive mean to exact neither punishment nor redress.

excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these.

excuse an interruption
excused them for interrupting

Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

injustice excuses strong responses

condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.

a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could not forgive their rudeness

Noun

apology, apologia, excuse, plea, pretext, alibi mean matter offered in explanation or defense.

apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

her usual plea that she was nearsighted

pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

used any pretext to get out of work

alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

Examples of excuse in a Sentence

Verb His boss excused the mistake but told him to be more careful next time. Please excuse me for not calling sooner. I was excused from jury duty. The teacher excused the class from homework that day. Nothing can excuse that kind of rudeness. Her father's illness excused her absence. Noun What's your excuse for being so late? She had no valid excuse for not finishing her homework. He's always making excuses for himself. I made my excuses and left. His birthday gives us a good excuse for a party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Who was in the first set of prospective jurors Of the 15 people questioned in the jury box Tuesday, six had guns in their homes, though one of those individuals was excused by the prosecution at the end of the day. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Historically, courts have set a high legal standard for overturning juror dismissals, because each attorney is allowed to excuse a certain number of people from the jury pool without having to state a reason. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Unlike other states, voters don't need a reason or excuse to vote early. Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 No secret held, nothing Quintanilla may have done or said, excuses Saldívar murdering her, and positioning a docuseries in a manner that encourages that narrative is nasty business. Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024 In her closing argument, Morrissey stressed that both can be held responsible — and that Baldwin’s lapses do not excuse Gutierrez Reed’s. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 All could be excused as both sides have eight peremptory challenges to dismiss any prospective juror for any reason. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 According to the district website, student absences are only excused if the student is ill or if there’s a death in the immediate family. Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 The program offers 1 point per $1 spent on qualifying purchases and excuse access to special savings events and member-only offers every day, among other benefits, according to the company. Gabe Hauari, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
The fashionable Flores is happy for any excuse to dig through his closet. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024 Schools are heading into spring break this month, and for us, that’s a great excuse to update our own wardrobes. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024 There is no excuse for my bad judgment, abusing my authority and undermining Hit Like A Girl’s good works. Karen Bliss, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 Real progress was always out of reach, a failure rationalized with a litany of excuses − faculty governance, a difficult legislature, uncollaborative researchers, budget cuts, even student groups intent on protesting. Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 Sentiment is the North Star of this page-to-stage adaptation, and those searching for an excuse to shed tears — who couldn’t use one, nowadays? — will find the musical delivers. Naveen Kumar, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Damon, who was not nominated for his part in Oppenheimer, was spotted at the Vanity Fair party but had an excuse for forgoing the Oscars. Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Seeing an excuse to get out of therapy, Merit drives out to the lakeside cabin where Clay lives to supervise him. Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 With all the sober ride options available, there is never an excuse for driving after drinking. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French escuser, excuser, from Latin excusare, from ex- + causa cause, explanation

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excuse was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near excuse

Cite this Entry

“Excuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excuse. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

excuse

1 of 2 verb
ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüz How to pronounce excuse (audio)
excused; excusing
1
: to make apology for
excused myself for being late
2
: to overlook or dismiss as of little importance
excuse a mistake
3
a
: to release from doing something
excused the class from homework
b
: to allow to leave
excused the sick student from class
4
: to be an acceptable reason for : justify
nothing excuses bad manners
excusable adjective
excusably adverb
excuser noun

excuse

2 of 2 noun
ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüs How to pronounce excuse (audio)
1
: the act of excusing
2
a
: something offered as a reason for being excused
b
: a note that explains an absence
3
: something that excuses or is a reason for excusing

Legal Definition

excuse

1 of 2 verb
ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüz How to pronounce excuse (audio)
excused; excusing

transitive verb

1
: to grant exemption or release to
excused the prospective juror
excused the witness after an hour of testimony
2

intransitive verb

: to serve as an excuse or justification
exigent circumstances may excuseJ. J. White and R. S. Summers

excuse

2 of 2 noun
ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüs How to pronounce excuse (audio)
1
2
a
: a circumstance that allows for release under the law from an obligation, duty, or contractual liability compare act of god, force majeure, fortuitous event, impossibility of performance
b
: a circumstance (as a physical threat) that grants immunity for otherwise tortious or criminal conduct compare justification, privilege

More from Merriam-Webster on excuse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!