excuse

pluralexcuses

conjugation excusing - excused - excused

noun: a reason or explanation given to justify a fault or offense
- His excuse for being late was that his car wouldn't start.
verb: to attempt to lessen the blame for a fault or offense; to justify
- Please don't try to excuse your rude behavior.
verb: to release someone from a duty or requirement
- She was excused from the final exam because of her perfect attendance.
verb: to forgive or pardon someone for an error or wrongdoing
- The manager excused the employee's mistake after hearing the circumstances.
interjection: a polite expression used to get someone's attention or to apologize for a minor inconvenience
- Excuse me, could you tell me where the nearest subway station is?