Pronunciation: /ɪkˈskjuz/

Definitions of excuse

noun a reason or explanation given to justify a fault or offense

Example Sentences

A1 I have an excuse for being late - my alarm didn't go off.

A2 She made up an excuse to leave the party early.

B1 His excuse for not finishing the project on time was that he was sick.

B2 I can't accept your excuse for not attending the meeting without informing anyone.

C1 The CEO's excuse for the company's poor performance was the economic downturn.

C2 There is no excuse for the way he treated his employees.

verb to forgive or pardon someone for a fault or offense

Example Sentences

A1 I excuse myself for being late to the meeting.

A2 She excuses her dog's bad behavior by saying he's still a puppy.

B1 The teacher excused the student from homework because of a family emergency.

B2 I can't excuse his rude behavior towards the guests.

C1 The company excused the employee for his mistake due to his excellent track record.

C2 The politician tried to excuse his controversial remarks by claiming they were taken out of context.

Examples of excuse in a Sentence

formal I must ask for your excuse as to why you were late to the meeting.

informal Can you give me an excuse for not doing your homework?

slang She always has some excuse for not showing up to practice.

figurative His excuse for not attending the event was as flimsy as a paper thin.

Grammatical Forms of excuse

past tense

excused

plural

excuses

comparative

more excuse

superlative

most excuse

present tense

excuses

future tense

will excuse

perfect tense

have excused

continuous tense

is excusing

singular

excuse

positive degree

excuse

infinitive

to excuse

gerund

excusing

participle

excused

Origin and Evolution of excuse

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'excuse' originated from the Latin word 'excusare' which means 'to free from blame' or 'to apologize'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'excuse' has evolved to not only mean providing a reason for a mistake or offense but also to seek forgiveness or understanding for a particular action or behavior.