noun , verb
■ noun / ɪkˈskjuːs; NAmE /
1.
excuse (for sth / for doing sth) a reason, either true or invented, that you give to explain or defend your behaviour :
Late again! What's your excuse this time?
There's no excuse for such behaviour.
His excuse for forgetting her birthday was that he had lost his diary.
You don't have to make excuses for her (= try to think of reasons for her behaviour) .
It's late. I'm afraid I'll have to make my excuses (= say I'm sorry, give my reasons and leave) .
➡ note at reason
2.
excuse (for sth / for doing sth) | excuse (to do sth) a good reason that you give for doing sth that you want to do for other reasons :
It's just an excuse for a party.
It gave me an excuse to take the car.
3.
a very bad example of sth :
Why get involved with that pathetic excuse for a human being?
4.
( NAmE ) a note written by a parent or doctor to explain why a student cannot go to school or sb cannot go to work
■ verb / ɪkˈskjuːz/
1.
excuse sth | excuse sb (for sth / for doing sth) to forgive sb for sth that they have done, for example not being polite or making a small mistake :
[ vn ]
Please excuse the mess.
I hope you'll excuse me for being so late.
You must excuse my father—he's not always that rude.
( BrE )
You might be excused for thinking that Ben is in charge (= he is not, but it is an easy mistake to make) .
[ vn -ing ] ( formal )
Excuse my interrupting you.
2.
[ vn ] excuse sth | excuse sb / yourself (for sth / for doing sth) to make your or sb else's behaviour seem less offensive by finding reasons for it
SYN justify :
Nothing can excuse such rudeness.
3.
[ vn ] excuse sb / yourself (from sth) to allow sb to leave; to say in a polite way that you are leaving :
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm a very busy man.
She excused herself and left the meeting early.
4.
excuse sb (from sth / from doing sth) [ usually passive ] to allow sb to not do sth that they should normally do :
[ vn ]
She was excused from giving evidence because of her age.
[also vnn ]
•
IDIOMS
- excuse me
—more at French noun
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French escuser (verb), from Latin excusare to free from blame, from ex- out + causa accusation, cause.