excuse

/ɪkskjˈus/ · 2 syllables

Meaning

verb

accept an excuse for
“Please excuse my dirty hands”
grant exemption or release to
“Please excuse me from this class”
serve as a reason or cause or justification of
“Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work”
defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
“rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior”
ask for permission to be released from an engagement
excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
“excuse someone's behavior”

noun

a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
“he kept finding excuses to stay”
a note explaining an absence
“he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him”
a poor example
“it was an apology for a meal”

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