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| tr.v. ex·cused, ex·cus·ing, ex·cus·es 1. a. To make allowance for; overlook or forgive: Please excuse the interruption. b. To grant pardon to; forgive: We quickly excused the latecomer. 2. a. To apologize for (oneself) for an act that could cause offense: She excused herself for being late. b. To explain (a fault or offense) in the hope of being forgiven or understood; try to justify: He arrived late and excused his tardiness by blaming it on the traffic. See Synonyms at forgive. 3. To serve as justification for: Witty talk does not excuse bad manners. 4. To free, as from an obligation or duty; exempt: She was excused from jury duty because she knew the plaintiff. 5. To give permission to leave; release: The child ate quickly and asked to be excused. n. (ĭk-skys) Idiom: 1. An explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness. 2. A reason or grounds for excusing: Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law. 3. The act of excusing. 4. A note explaining an absence. 5. Informal An inferior example: a poor excuse for a poet; a sorry excuse for a car. Excuse me 1. Used to acknowledge and ask forgiveness for an action that could cause offense. 2. Used to request that a statement be repeated. [Middle English excusen, ultimately (partly via Old French excuser) from Latin excūsāre : ex-, ex- + causa, lawsuit; see CAUSE.] ex·cusa·ble adj. ex·cusa·ble·ness n. ex·cusa·bly adv. ex·cuser n. |
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