1. (v. t.) 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.

2. (v. t.) 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.

3. (v. t.) To regard with indulgence; to view leniently or to overlook; to pardon.

4. (v. t.) 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.

5. (v. t.) To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.

6. (n.) The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; justification; extenuation.

7. (v. t.) 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.

8. (v. t.) That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault.

abject apology absolution absolve acknowledgment acquit acquittal acquittance alibi alibi out of allow amnesty apologize for apology basis be blind to blind breast-beating cause clear clearance clearing cloak color compurgation condonation condone confession contrition cop-out cover cover story cover with excuses cover-up decontaminate defence defend defense destigmatization destigmatize destigmatizing device discharge disculpation dismiss dismissal dispense dispense from dispense with disregard escape evasion except exculpate exculpation exempt exempt from exemption exonerate exoneration explain explanation extenuate extenuation facade feint forgive forgiveness foundation free front give absolution give dispensation from gloss gloss over grace grant amnesty to grant forgiveness grant immunity grant remission grounds guise handle heedlessness ignore immunity indemnity indulgence justification justify lame excuse let go let off liberate lie out of likely story locus standi loophole make apology for makeshift mask mea culpa mitigate mitigation nonpros offer excuse for ostensible motive out overlook palliate palliation pardon pass over penitence permit plea plead ignorance poor excuse pretense pretension pretext protestation public motive purgation purge purging put-off quash the charge quietus quittance rational ground rationale rationalization rationalize reason reason for reason why redemption refuge regrets release relieve remise remission remission of sin remit reprieve right save the necessity screen semblance set free sham shift show shrift shrive shrug off smoke screen spare sparing squirm out of stalking-horse stall stated cause stopgap story stratagem substitute subterfuge the big idea the idea the whatfor the wherefore the why trick underlying reason varnish veil verdict of acquittal vindicate vindication warrant way out whitewash wink at withdraw the charge worm out of