English Online Dictionary. What means excuse? What does excuse mean?
English
Etymology
From Middle English excusen (verb) and excuse (noun), borrowed from Old French escuser (verb) and excuse (noun), from Latin excūsō, excūsāre (“to excuse, allege in excuse, literally, free from a charge”), from ex (“out”) + causa (“a charge”); see cause, accuse and recuse. Displaced native Old English lād (“an excuse”) and lādian (“to excuse”).
Pronunciation
- Verb
- (UK) enPR: ĭkskyo͞oz', IPA(key): /ɪkˈskjuːz/, /ɛksˈkjuːz/
- (US) enPR: ĭkskyo͞oz', IPA(key): /ɪksˈkjuz/, /ɛksˈkjuz/
- Rhymes: -uːz
- Noun
- (UK) enPR: ĭkskyo͞os', IPA(key): /ɪkˈskjuːs/, /ɛksˈkjuːs/
- (US) enPR: ĭkskyo͞os', IPA(key): /ɪksˈkjus/, /ɛksˈkjus/
- Rhymes: -uːs
Verb
excuse (third-person singular simple present excuses, present participle excusing, simple past and past participle excused)
- (transitive) To forgive; to pardon; to overlook.
- (transitive) To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.
- (transitive) To provide an excuse for; to justify.
- To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.
Synonyms
- (to release from guilt, shame, or punishment): forgive, let off the hook, let pass, pardon, unguilt
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of “to release from guilt, shame, or punishment”): blame, punish
Derived terms
- blind excuse
- 'scuse
- excuse me
- excuse my français, excuse my French
- excuse you
- please excuse my dear Aunt Sally
- XQs
Translations
Noun
excuse (countable and uncountable, plural excuses)
- (countable, uncountable) Explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.
- (law) A defense to a criminal or civil charge wherein the accused party admits to doing acts for which legal consequences would normally be appropriate, but asserts that special circumstances relieve that party of culpability for having done those acts.
- (often with preceding negative adjective, especially sorry, poor, or lame) An example of something that is substandard or of inferior quality.
Usage notes
- We often say to make an excuse.
Synonyms
- (explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment): pretext release, clear, justify, forgive, tolerate, overlook, exempt, pardon, discharge, pretext, bear with, acquit, exonerate, absolve, pretense, vindicate.
Translations
See also
- rationalization
Further reading
- “excuse”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “excuse”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
French
Etymology
Deverbal from excuser.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛk.skyz/
- (colloquial) IPA(key): /ɛs.kyz/
Noun
excuse f (plural excuses)
- excuse
Verb
excuse
- inflection of excuser:
- first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
Further reading
- “excuse”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Latin
Participle
excūse
- vocative masculine singular of excūsus
Spanish
Verb
excuse
- inflection of excusar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative