excuse meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

excuse

verb

UK /ɪkˈskjuːz/ · US /ɪksˈkjuz/

Etymology From Middle English excusen (verb) and excuse (noun), borrowed from Old French escuser (verb) and excuse (noun), from Latin excūsō, excūsāre (“to excuse, allege in excuse, literally, free from a charge”), from ex (“out”) + causa (“a charge”); see cause, accuse and recuse. Displaced native Old English lād (“an excuse”) and lādian (“to excuse”).

To forgive; to pardon; to overlook.

I excused him his transgressions.
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, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii], page 25, column 1:

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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 itc. 1685, John Sharp, A Discourse of Conscience:

To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.

May I be excused from the table?
I excused myself from the proceedings to think over what I'd heard.

To provide an excuse for; to justify.

You know he shouldn't have done it, so don't try to excuse his behavior!
They cannot be excusyd By reason nor by law; […]c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 62, lines 6–7:

To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.

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], →OCLC, 2 Corinthians xij:[19], 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:

Synonyms: forgive, let off the hook, let pass, pardon, unguilt, plead, adduce
Antonyms: blame, punish
Derived terms: blind excuse, excusability, excuse me, excuse my français, excuse my French, excuse you, excusingly, please excuse my dear Aunt Sally, 'scuse, unexcused, unexcusing, XQs

excuse

noun

UK /ɪkˈskjuːs/ · US /ɪksˈkjus/

An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.

Tell me why you were late – and I don't want to hear any excuses!
I had to make an excuse for being late to the meeting.

4 more examples

a feeble excuse
a tired excuse
a valid excuse
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], →OCLC, Luke xiiij:[18], folio cj, recto:

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.

Often, With preceding negative adjective An example of something that is substandard or of inferior quality.

Especially sorry; poor; or lame; especially sorry; poor; or lame

That thing is a poor excuse for a gingerbread man. Hasn't anyone taught you how to bake?
He's a sorry excuse for a doctor.

2 more examples

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 04 Aug 2022:

Synonyms: pretext release, clear, justify, forgive, tolerate, overlook, exempt, pardon, discharge, pretext, bear with, acquit, exonerate, absolve, pretense, vindicate
Derived terms: abuse excuse, excusal, excuseflation, excuseless
Related terms: rationalization

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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Conjugation of “excuse”, all tenses