Meaning of excuse In English

• 0 to forgive someone:

  • Please excuse me for arriving late - the bus was delayed.

  • Nothing can excuse that sort of behaviour.

  • No amount of financial recompense can excuse the way in which the company carried out its policy.

  • We cannot excuse him for these crimes.

  • I asked the teacher if I could be excused from (= allowed not to do) hockey practice as my knee still hurt.

  • Please excuse me from (= allow me to miss) the rest of the meeting - I've just received a phone call that requires my immediate attention.

  • Excuse me, does this bus go to Oxford Street?

  • Excuse me, can I just get past?

  • Excuse me a moment, I'll be with you shortly.

  • Did I take your seat? Do excuse me.

  • Excuse me but aren't you forgetting something?

• 1 a reason that you give to explain why you did something wrong:

  • He'd better have a good excuse for being late.

  • I've never known him to miss a meeting - I'm sure he'll have an excuse.

  • There's no excuse for that sort of behaviour.

  • [ + to infinitive ] She was just looking for an excuse to call him.

  • Any excuse for a holiday!

  • Please make my excuses at the meeting on Friday.

  • You're always making excuses for not helping me.

• 2 to forgive someone:

  • Please excuse me for being so late – there was a lot of traffic.

  • It was hard to excuse him for treating me so badly.

  • I was excused from jury duty because I had to take care of my sick mother.

• 3 the explanation given for bad behavior, absence, etc.:

  • You’re always making excuses for not helping with the housework.

• 4 a letter from a doctor saying that someone is too ill to go to work