tr.v., -cused, -cus·ing, -cus·es.
- To explain (a fault or an offense) in the hope of being forgiven or understood: He arrived late and excused his tardiness in a flimsy manner.
- To apologize for (oneself) for an act that could cause offense: She excused herself for being late.
- To grant pardon to; forgive: We quickly excused the latecomer.
- To make allowance for; overlook: Readers must excuse the author's youth and inexperience. See synonyms at forgive.
- To serve as justification for: Brilliance does not excuse bad manners.
- To free, as from an obligation or duty; exempt: In my state, physicians and lawyers are excused from jury duty.
- To give permission to leave; release: The child ate quickly and asked to be excused.
- An explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness.
- A reason or grounds for excusing: Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.
- The act of excusing.
- A note explaining an absence.
- Informal. An inferior example: a poor excuse for a poet; a sorry excuse for a car.
Excuse me
- Used to acknowledge and ask forgiveness for an action that could cause offense.
- Used to request that a statement be repeated.
[Middle English excusen, from Old French excuser, from Latin excūsāre : ex-, ex- + causa, accusation; see cause.]
excusable ex·cus'a·ble adj.excusableness ex·cus'a·ble·ness n.
excusably ex·cus'a·bly adv.
excuser ex·cus'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
