excuse me Definition

excuse
verb excused, excusing

1. To pardon or forgive someone.

Thesaurus: absolve, acquit, pardon, vindicate, exonerate, exculpate.
2. To offer justification for (a wrongdoing).

Thesaurus: explain, apologize for, justify, defend.
3. To free someone from (an obligation or duty, etc).

Thesaurus: liberate, free, release, discharge, exempt.
4. To allow someone to leave a room, etc, eg in order to go to the lavatory.

noun

1. An explanation for a wrongdoing, offered as an apology or justification.

Thesaurus: explanation, apology, reason, defence, justification, vindication, alibi.
2. derog
A very poor example
Example: You'll never sell this excuse for a painting!

Derivative: excusable
adj

Able to be justified or pardoned
Thesaurus: understandable, warrantable, allowable, permissible, defensible, explicable, forgivable, justifiable.

Derivative: excusably
adverb

Idiom: excuse me

An expression of apology, or one used to attract attention.
Thesaurus: pardon me, forgive me, I'm sorry, beg your pardon.

Idiom: excuse oneself

To leave after apologizing or asking permission.

Idiom: make one's excuses

To apologize for leaving or for not attending.

Etymology: 14c: from Latin excusare, from ex from + causa cause or accusation.