Definition of "excuse"

excuse

/ɪkˈskjuːz/

verb
third-person singular simple present excuses, present participle excusing, simple past and past participle excused
1. (transitive) To forgive; to pardon.
  Quotations
  Yet his Nature / In that’s no Changeling, and I muſt excuſe / What cannot be amended.
  c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene vii], page 25, column 1
  If they say that he did sin in doing this, then they must at the same time acknowledge that a man's persuasion that a thing is a duty will not excuse him from guilt in practising it
  c. 1685, John Sharp, A Discourse of Conscience
2. (transitive) To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.
3. (transitive) To provide an excuse for; to explain, with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement.
  Quotations
  They cannot be excusydBy reason nor by law; […]
  c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, page 62, lines 6–7
4. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.
  Quotations
  Agayne / thynke ye that we excuſe oure ſelves? we ſpeake in Chriſt in the ſight of God. But we do all thyngꝭ dearly beloved for youre edifyinge.
  1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], 2 Corinthians xij:, folio ccxlvj, verso
  It were more meet that thou didst accuse thy self, and excusedst thy Brother.
  1705, Thomas à Kempis (unknown translator), The Christian’s Pattern: or, A Treatise of the Imitation of Jesus Christ, London: T. C. Hansard, […], published 1831, page 54
noun
countable and uncountable, plural excuses
1. (countable, uncountable) Explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.
  Quotations
  And they all atonce begane to make excuſe. The fyrſt ſayd vnto him: I have bought a ferme / and I muſt nedes goo and ſe it / I praye the have me excuſed.
  1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], Luke xiiij:, folio cj, recto
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. (often with preceding negative adjective, especially sorry, poor, or lame) An example of something that is substandard or of inferior quality.
  Quotations
  What a fucking lame excuse for a man.
  2008, Christos Tsiolkas, The Slap, London: Atlantic Books, page 131
  Seydlitz correctly identifies the larger shell splashes as coming from the two "large light cruisers" at the rear, and takes aim. Moments later, Courageous sheers out of line, smoke and steam venting through a massive hole in her side, the shells having blasted right through whatever excuse for armor was present and detonated amidst the boiler rooms. She is doomed.
  2018 October 17, Drachinifel, 15:10 from the start, in Last Ride of the High Seas Fleet - Battle of Texel 1918‎, archived from the original on 4 August 2022

Definition of "excuse"

excuse

verb

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noun

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