excused

ex·cuse  (k-skyz)

tr.v. ex·cused, ex·cus·ing, ex·cus·es

1.

a. To explain (a fault or an offense) in the hope of being forgiven or understood: He arrived late and excused his tardiness in a flimsy manner.

b. To apologize for (oneself) for an act that could cause offense: She excused herself for being late.

2.

a. To grant pardon to; forgive: We quickly excused the latecomer.

b. To make allowance for; overlook: Readers must excuse the author's youth and inexperience. See Synonyms at forgive.

3. To serve as justification for: Brilliance does not excuse bad manners.

4. To free, as from an obligation or duty; exempt: In my state, physicians and lawyers are excused from jury duty.

5. To give permission to leave; release: The child ate quickly and asked to be excused.

n. (k-skys)

1. An explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness.

2. A reason or grounds for excusing: Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.

3. The act of excusing.

4. A note explaining an absence.

5. Informal An inferior example: a poor excuse for a poet; a sorry excuse for a car.

Idiom:

Excuse me

1. Used to acknowledge and ask forgiveness for an action that could cause offense.

2. Used to request that a statement be repeated.

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[Middle English excusen, from Old French excuser, from Latin excsre : ex-, ex- + causa, accusation; see cause.]

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ex·cusa·ble adj.

ex·cusa·ble·ness n.

ex·cusa·bly adv.

ex·cuser n.

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

excused - granted exemption; "one of the excused jurors planned to write a book" exempt - (of persons) freed from or not subject to an obligation or liability (as e.g. taxes) to which others or other things are subject; "a beauty somehow exempt from the aging process"; "exempt from jury duty"; "only the very poorest citizens should be exempt from income taxes"