excuse

1 of 2

verb

ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüz 

 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

ik-ˈskyü-zə-bəl 

adjective

excusableness noun

excusably

ik-ˈskyü-zə-blē 

adverb

excuser noun

excuse

2 of 2

noun

ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüs 

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

: justification, reason

Synonyms

Verb

• blink (at)
• brush (aside or off)
• condone
• discount
• disregard
• forgive
• gloss (over)
• gloze (over)
• ignore
• overlook
• overpass
• paper over
• pardon
• pass over
• remit
• shrug off
• whitewash
• wink (at)

Noun

• alibi
• apology
• defense
• justification
• plea
• reason

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

Schools offer excused absences to witness the event Some school districts are leaving the choice up to parents. —USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024

This list barely scrapes the surface, so please excuse the absence of Howdy Glenn, Stoney Edwards, Bobby Womack, Dona Mason, Kane Brown, Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Miko Marks, Allison Russell, and scores more. —Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 1 Apr. 2024

That does not, however, excuse being willfully stupid about financial transactions. —Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

District staff are also accused of flouting district policy by excusing absences after allowing students to walk out of class for unauthorized protests. —Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024

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

Noun

Those qualities somewhat eclipse the central question of the wayward young granddaughter, which primarily serves as an excuse to watch Sugar work – sifting through sleazy, Hollywood-style dirty laundry – without really needing to drive the narrative. —Brian Lowry, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

Hendry emphasized that the judges in these cases need to do their jobs and stop making excuses. —Stepheny Price, Fox News, 1 Apr. 2024

Those who use this as an excuse to hate Jews tend to forget that Jesus, in His earthly body, was a Jew, and therefore loved them. —Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024

Washington needs to stop making excuses for Israel and stop supporting this war. —Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024

Acknowledge the promise was unfulfilled, genuinely apologize without making excuses and then outline and act on specific steps (including feedback) to remedy the issue. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

In his view, the election of Trump, that November, provided a perfect excuse for Remainers not to take the Brexit vote seriously. —Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

His reunion with Albert, now working largely in kids’ TV, seems largely an excuse to haughtily compare their achievements; Albert retaliates by listing the failings of Blake’s personal life, an estranged son among them. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024

Marcus acted out the opponents, partially as an excuse to scare his younger siblings, but also as a way to hone their skills. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing excuse

• excuse me
• excuse oneself
• poor/sad/sorry excuse for

Kids Definition

excuse

1 of 2 verb

ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüz 

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

-ˈskyü-zə-bəl 

adjective

excusably

-blē 

adverb

excuser noun

excuse

2 of 2 noun

ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüs 

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 

excused; excusing

transitive verb

1

: to grant exemption or release to

excused the prospective juror

excused the witness after an hour of testimony

2

: justify

intransitive verb

: to serve as an excuse or justification

exigent circumstances may excuse

—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

excuse

2 of 2 noun

ex·​cuse ik-ˈskyüs 

1

: excusal

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