excuse

verb1 of 2

to give a reason to explain why you did something

• “We can know in advance what excuse he will make.”Tatoeba
• “He was excused on the ground that he was young.”Tatoeba

Sentences from Tatoeba show real usage. A word can have several meanings, so a sentence may use another one.

noun2 of 2

Explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.