Noun
-
a poor example
"it was an apology for a meal"
"a poor excuse for an automobile"
-
a note explaining an absence
"he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him"
-
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"
- self justification
Verb
-
excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
be lenient with
"excuse someone's behavior"
"She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities"
-
ask for permission to be released from an engagement
- beg off -
defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
"rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"
"he rationalized his lack of success"
-
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"
-
grant exemption or release to
"Please excuse me from this class"
- let off -
accept an excuse for
"Please excuse my dirty hands"