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Added 9 October 2026

excuse

/ɪkˈskjuːz/ noun

In Latin: īgnōscō, excūsō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about excuse at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
he kept finding excuses to stay
A note explaining an absence.
he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him
A poor example.
it was an apology for a meal

verb

Accept an excuse for.
Please excuse my dirty hands
Grant exemption or release to.
Please excuse me from this class
Serve as a reason or cause or justification of.
Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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