Excuse, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Excused; p. pr. & vb. n. Excusing.]
Etymology: [OE. escusen, cusen, OF. escuser, excuser, F. excuser, fr. L. excusare; ex out + causa cause, causari to plead. See Cause.]
1. 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. A man's persuasion that a thing is duty, will not excuse him from guilt in practicing it, if really and indeed it be against Gog's law. Abp. Sharp.
2. 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. I must excuse what can not be amended. Shak.
3. To regard with indulgence; to view leniently or to overlook; to pardon. And in our own (excuse some courtly stains.) No whiter page than Addison remains. Pope.
4. 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. I pray thee have me excused. xiv. 19.
2 more senses
5. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for. Think ye that we excuse ourselves to you 2 Cor. xii. 19.
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.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Excuse, n.
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.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for excuse; he lists it under apology, pardon, pretense.
Where he writes about it:
An apology is for what one has done or left undone; an excuse may be for what one proposes to do or leave undone as well; as, one sends beforehand his excuse for not accepting an invitation; if he should fail either to be present or to excuse himself, an apology would be in order. — from apology
An excuse for a fault is an attempt at partial justification; as, one alleges haste as an excuse for carelessness. — from apology
Confession is a full acknowledgment of wrong, generally of a grave wrong, with or without apology or excuse. — from apology
To excuse is to overlook some slight offense, error, or breach of etiquette; pardon is often used by courtesy in nearly the same sense. — from pardon