Syn. -- To vindicate; exculpate; absolve; acquit. - To Pardon, Excuse, Forgive. A superior pardons as an act of mercy or generosity; either a superior or an equal excuses. A crime, great fault, or a grave offence, as one against law or morals, may be pardoned; a small fault, such as a failure in social or conventional obligations, slight omissions or neglects may be excused. Forgive relates to offenses against one's self, and punishment foregone; as, to forgive injuries or one who has injured us; to pardon grave offenses, crimes, and criminals; to excuse an act of forgetfulness, an unintentional offense. Pardon is also a word of courtesy employed in the sense of excuse.
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Ex*cuse" (?), n. [Cf. F. excuse. See Excuse, v. t.] 1. The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; justification; extenuation.
Pleading so wisely in excuse of it.
Shak.
2. 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.
Hence with denial vain and coy excuse.
Milton.
3. That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault. "It hath the excuse of youth." Shak.
If eyes were made for seeing.
Then beauty is its own excuse for being.
Emerson.
Syn. -- See Apology.
Ex*cuse"less, a. Having no excuse; not admitting of excuse or apology. Whillock.
Ex*cuse"ment (?), n. [Cf. OF. excusement.] Excuse. [Obs.] Gower.
Ex*cus"er (?), n. 1. One who offers excuses or pleads in extenuation of the fault of another. Swift.