excuse — to forgive someone for something they have done wrong
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to forgive someone for something they have done wrong
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪkˈskjuːz/
Example Sentences
- My dog ate my homework - is that a valid excuse?
- Excuse me, could you help me find the nearest coffee shop?
- There's no excuse for eating pizza for breakfast... except that it's delicious!
excuse
VERB[/ɪkˈskjuːz/]
to forgive someone for something they have done wrong
He made an excuse about traffic, but everyone knew he overslept again.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin 'excusare', formed by combining 'ex-' (out) and 'causa' (cause, reason). The original sense was 'to put forth a cause or reason', evolving to mean 'to offer an apology or explanation' and later 'to forgive or pardon'.
Breakdown
ex- (out, away) + causa (cause, reason) = excusare (to excuse, apologize). The prefix 'ex-' combined with the noun 'causa' created a verb meaning to externalize or present one's reasons.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My dog ate my homework - is that a valid excuse?”
“Excuse me, could you help me find the nearest coffee shop?”
“There's no excuse for eating pizza for breakfast... except that it's delicious!”
“Please excuse me from the meeting - I have a doctor's appointment.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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