Definition of to excuse in English English dictionary: To forgive; to pardon
I excused him his transgressions.; To provide an excuse for; to explain, with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
You know he shouldn't have done it, so don't try to excuse his behavior!.; An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment
Tell me why you were late – and I don't want to hear any excuses!.; {v} to forgive, remit, free, lessen; {n} a pardon, apology, plea; excusement; {f} forgive; free, release; justify; That which is offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or irregular deportment; apology; as, an excuse for neglect of duty; excuses for delay of payment; defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning; "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success"; a poor example; "it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor excuse for an automobile"; If you excuse someone for something wrong that they have done, you forgive them for it. Many people might have excused them for shirking some of their responsibilities. = forgive; "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable" excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with; "excuse someone's behavior"; "She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities" 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 amy explain her reluctance to date again" grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this class" ask for permission to be released from an engagement accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands; 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 amy explain her reluctance to date again"; formulae You use excuse me to apologize to someone when you have disturbed or interrupted them. Excuse me interrupting, but there's a thing I feel I've got to say; grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this class"; "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable"; politeness You use excuse me or a phrase such as if you'll excuse me as a polite way of indicating that you are about to leave or that you are about to stop talking to someone. `Excuse me,' she said to Jarvis, and left the room Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do; That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault; "Qui s'excuse, s'accuse," or "Tel s'excuse qui s'accuse "; formulae You say `Excuse me' when you want to politely get someone's attention, especially when you are about to ask them a question. Excuse me, but are you Mr Honig?; To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for; To regard with indulgence; to view leniently or to overlook; to pardon; An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement; To allow to leave; a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc; You use excuse me, but to indicate that you are about to disagree with someone. Excuse me, but I want to know what all this has to do with us; formulae You say excuse me to apologize when you have done something slightly embarrassing or impolite, such as burping, hiccupping, or sneezing; 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"; If you excuse yourself, you use a phrase such as `Excuse me' as a polite way of saying that you are about to leave. He excused himself and went up to his room; formulae You say `Excuse me?' to show that you want someone to repeat what they have just said; accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands"; ask for permission to be released from an engagement accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands; To pardon, as a fault; to forgive entirely, or to admit to be little censurable, and to overlook; as, we excuse irregular conduct, when extraordinary circumstances appear to justify it; To free from accusation, or the imputation of fault or blame; to clear from guilt; to release from a charge; to justify by extenuating a fault; to exculpate; to absolve; to acquit; formulae You say excuse me to apologize when you have bumped into someone, or when you need to move past someone in a crowd. = sorry; To excuse someone or excuse their behaviour means to provide reasons for their actions, especially when other people disapprove of these actions. He excused himself by saying he was `forced to rob to maintain my wife and cat' That doesn't excuse my mother's behaviour. = justify; An excuse is a reason which you give in order to explain why something has been done or has not been done, or in order to avoid doing something. It is easy to find excuses for his indecisiveness Once I had had a baby I had the perfect excuse to stay at home If you stop making excuses and do it you'll wonder what took you so long. = justification disapproval If you say that there is no excuse for something, you are emphasizing that it should not happen, or expressing disapproval that it has happened. There's no excuse for behaviour like that Solitude was no excuse for sloppiness; The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; justification; extenuation; ask for permission to be released from an engagement; If someone is excused from a duty or responsibility, they are told that they do not have to carry it out. She is usually excused from her duties during the school holidays She was excused duties on Saturday; {i} reason, pretext; apology; 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; a note explaining an absence; "he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him"; excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with; "excuse someone's behavior"; "She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities"; To free from an impending obligation or duty; hence, to disengage; to dispense with; to release by favor; also, to remit by favor; not to exact; as, to excuse a forfeiture; vi minta maaf (maaf) 2 vt memaafkan (maaf)