Excuse - Definition

n 1: a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to
keep a promise etc.; "he kept finding excuses to stay";
"every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his
transparent self-justification was unacceptable" [syn:
excuse, alibi, exculpation, self-justification]
2: a note explaining an absence; "he had to get his mother to
write an excuse for him"
3: a poor example; "it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor
excuse for an automobile" [syn: apology, excuse]
v 1: accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands" [syn:
excuse, pardon]
2: grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this
class" [syn: excuse, relieve, let off, exempt]
3: serve as a reason or cause or justification of; "Your need to
sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her
recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again"
[syn: excuse, explain]
4: defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by
reasoning; "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy
behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success" [syn:
apologize, apologise, excuse, justify, rationalize,
rationalise]
5: ask for permission to be released from an engagement [syn:
excuse, beg off]
6: excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with;
"excuse someone's behavior"; "She condoned her husband's
occasional infidelities" [syn: excuse, condone]