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Webster 1913 Edition

Excuse

Ex-cuse′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Excused
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Excusing
.]
[OE.
escusen
,
cusen
, OF.
escuser
,
excuser
, F.
excuser
, fr. L.
excusare
;
ex
out +
causa
cause,
causari
to plead. See
Cause
.]
1.
To free from accusation, or the imputation of fault or blame; to clear from guilt; to release from a charge; to justify by extenuating a fault; to exculpate; to absolve; to acquit.
A man’s persuasion that a thing is duty, will not
excuse
him from guilt in practicing it, if really and indeed it be against Gog's law.
Abp. Sharp.
2.
To pardon, as a fault; to forgive entirely, or to admit to be little censurable, and to overlook;
as, we
excuse
irregular conduct, when extraordinary circumstances appear to justify it
.
I must
excuse
what can not be amended.
Shakespeare
3.
To regard with indulgence; to view leniently or to overlook; to pardon.
And in our own (
excuse
some courtly stains.)
No whiter page than Addison remains.
Pope.
4.
To free from an impending obligation or duty; hence, to disengage; to dispense with; to release by favor; also, to remit by favor; not to exact;
as, to
excuse
a forfeiture
.
I pray thee have me
excused
.
xiv. 19.
5.
To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.
Syn. – To vindicate; exculpate; absolve; acquit.
-
To Pardon
,
Excuse
,
Forgive
. A superior pardons as an act of mercy or generosity; either a superior or an equal excuses. A crime, great fault, or a grave offence, as one against law or morals, may be pardoned; a small fault, such as a failure in social or conventional obligations, slight omissions or neglects may be excused. Forgive relates to offenses against one's self, and punishment foregone; as, to forgive injuries or one who has injured us; to pardon grave offenses, crimes, and criminals; to excuse an act of forgetfulness, an unintentional offense. Pardon is also a word of courtesy employed in the sense of excuse.

Ex-cuse′

,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
excuse
. See
Excuse
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; justification; extenuation.
Pleading so wisely in
excuse
of it.
Shakespeare
2.
That which is offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or irregular deportment; apology;
as, an
excuse
for neglect of duty;
excuses
for delay of payment.
Hence with denial vain and coy
excuse
.
Milton.
3.
That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault.
“It hath the excuse of youth.”
Shak.
Syn. – See
Apology
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Excuse

EXCU'SE

,
Verb.
T.
s as z. [L. excuso; ex and causor, to blame. See Cause.]
1.
To pardon; to free from the imputation of fault or blame; to acquit of guilt. We excuse a person in our own minds, when we acquit him of guilt or blame; or we excuse him by a declaration of that acquital.
2.
To pardon, as a fault; to forgive entirely, or to admit to be little censurable, and to overlook. We excuse a fault, which admits of apology or extenuation; and we excuse irregular conduct, when extraordinary circumstances appear to justify it.
3.
To free from an obligation or duty.
I pray thee have me excused. Luke 14.
4.
To remit; not to exact; as, to excuse a forfeiture.
5.
To pardon; to admit an apology for.
Excuse some courtly strains.
6.
To throw off an imputation by apology.
Think you that we excuse ourselves to you? 2 cor.12.
7.
To justify; to vindicate.
Their thoughts accusing or else excusing one another. Rom.2.

EXCU'SE

,
Noun.
A plea offered in extenuation of a fault or irregular deportment; apology. Every man has an excuse to offer for his neglect of duty; the debtor makes excuses for delay of payment.
1.
The act of excusing or apologizing.
2.
That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault. His inability to comply with the request must be his excuse.

Definition 2024

excuse

excuse

See also: excusé

English

Verb

excuse ‎(third-person singular simple present excuses, present participle excusing, simple past and past participle excused)

  1. (transitive) To forgive; to pardon.
    I excused him his transgressions.
    • Shakespeare
      I must excuse what cannot be amended.
    • Archbishop Sharp
      A man's persuasion that a thing is duty, will not excuse him from guilt in practising it, if really and indeed it be against God's law.
  2. (transitive) To allow to leave.
    May I be excused from the table?
    I excused myself from the proceedings to think over what I'd heard.
  3. (transitive) To provide an excuse for; to explain, with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement.
    You know he shouldn't have done it, so don't try to excuse his behavior!
  4. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.
    • Bible, 2. Corinthians xii. 19
      Think ye that we excuse ourselves to you?

Synonyms

  • (to release from guilt, shame, or punishment): forgive, let off the hook, let pass, pardon, unguilt

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

excuse ‎(countable and uncountable, plural excuses)

  1. (countable, uncountable) Explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment.
    • 1604-11, Bible (King James Version), Luke: XIV:18
      And they all with one consent began to make excuse.
    Tell me why you were late – and I don't want to hear any excuses!
  2. (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.
  3. (with negative adjective prepositioned, especially sorry or poor) An example.
    That thing is a poor excuse for a gingerbread man. Hasn't anyone taught you how to bake?
    He's a sorry excuse of a doctor.

Usage notes

  • We often say to make an excuse.
    See also: Appendix:MakeDoTakeHave

Synonyms

  • (explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment): pretext

Translations

French

Etymology

From excuser.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛks.kyːz/

Noun

excuse f ‎(plural excuses)

  1. excuse

Verb

excuse

  1. first-person singular present indicative of excuser
  2. third-person singular present indicative of excuser
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of excuser
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of excuser
  5. second-person singular imperative of excuser

Latin

Participle

excūse

  1. vocative masculine singular of excūsus

Spanish

Verb

excuse

  1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of excusar.
  2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of excusar.
  3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of excusar.
  4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of excusar.

Etymology

From Middle English excusen, from Old French escuser, from Latin excūsō ‎(“to excuse, allege in excuse, literally, free from a charge”), from ex ‎(“out”) + causa ‎(“a charge”); see cause and accuse.

Pronunciation

Verb

  • (UK) enPR: ĭkskyo͞oz', IPA(key): /ɪkˈskjuːz/, /ɛksˈkjuːz/
  • (US) enPR: ĭkskyo͞oz', IPA(key): /ɪksˈkjuz/
  • Rhymes: -uːz

Noun

  • (UK) enPR: ĭkskyo͞os', IPA(key): /ɪkˈskjuːs/, /ɛksˈkjuːs/
  • (US) enPR: ĭkskyo͞os', IPA(key): /ɪksˈkjus/
  • Rhymes: -uːs

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