to regard or judge with forgiveness or indulgence; pardon or forgive; overlook (a fault, error, etc.)

Excuse his bad manners.

to offer an apology for; seek to remove the blame of

He excused his absence by saying that he was ill.

to serve as an apology or justification for; justify

Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

to release from an obligation or duty

to be excused from jury duty.

to seek or obtain exemption or release for (oneself)

to excuse oneself from a meeting.

to refrain from exacting; remit; dispense with

to excuse a debt.

to allow (someone) to leave

If you'll excuse me, I have to make a telephone call.

an explanation offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or for release from an obligation, promise, etc.

His excuse for being late was unacceptable.

a ground or reason for excusing or being excused

Ignorance is no excuse.

the act of excusing someone or something.

a pretext or subterfuge

He uses his poor health as an excuse for evading all responsibility.

an inferior or inadequate specimen of something specified

That coward is barely an excuse for a man. Her latest effort is a poor excuse for a novel.

Excuse me, (used as a polite expression, as when addressing a stranger, when interrupting or disagreeing with someone

or to request repetition of what has just been said.)

noun

alibi , apology , cleanup , cop-out , cover * , cover story , coverup , defense , disguise , evasion , expedient , extenuation , fish story * , grounds , jive * , justification , makeshift , mitigation , plea , pretext , rationalization , regrets , routine , semblance , shift , song * , song and dance * , stall , stopgap * , story , substitute , subterfuge , trick * , vindication , whitewash * , why and whereforenotes:an alias is an assumed name , an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed , while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgivenessa pardon is the act of excusing a mistake or offense; an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness , mea culpa , regret , absolution , amnesty , condonation , pardon , remission , dispensation , exoneration , indulgence , palliation , provocation , salvo

verb

acquit , alibi , apologize for , appease , bear with , clear , condone , cover , defend , discharge , dispense from , exculpate , exempt , exempt from , exonerate , explain , extenuate , forgive , free , give absolution , grant amnesty , indulge , let go , let off * , liberate , make allowances for , mitigate , overlook , pardon , pass over * , plead ignorance , pretext , purge , rationalize , release , relieve , remit , reprieve , shrive , shrug off , spare , take rap for , tolerate , vindicate , whitewash * , wink at *notes:an alias is an assumed name , an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed , while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgivenessa pardon is the act of excusing a mistake or offense; an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness , absolve , dispense , let off , apology , conciliate , concoct , justify , out , palliate , plea