excuse

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• UK: ĭkskyo͞os'
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• UK: /ɪkˈskjuːs/
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• UK: /ɛksˈkjuːs/
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• US: ĭkskyo͞os'
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• US: /ɪksˈkjus/
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• US: /ɛksˈkjus/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -uːs
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• UK: ĭkskyo͞oz'
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• UK: /ɪkˈskjuːz/
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• UK: /ɛksˈkjuːz/
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• US: ĭkskyo͞oz'
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• US: /ɪksˈkjuz/
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• US: /ɛksˈkjuz/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -uːz
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• CMU ARPABET: IH0 K S K Y UW1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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• CMU ARPABET 2: IH0 K S K Y UW1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵh Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵhs Proto-Italic *eks Latin ex Latin ex- Proto-Italic *kaussā Old Latin caussa Latin causa Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin excūsāreder. Old French escuserder. Middle English excusen ▲ Latin excūsāreder. Old French excuseder. Middle English excuse English excuse From Middle English excusen (verb) and excuse (noun), borrowed from Old French escuser (verb) and excuse (noun), from Latin excūsō, excūsāre (“to excuse, allege in excuse, literally, free from a charge”), from ex (“out”) + causa (“a charge”); see cause, accuse and recuse. Displaced native Old English lād (“an excuse”) and lādian (“to excuse”).

236 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Arabic: عُذْر (ʕuḏr) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Armenian: պատրվակ (patrvak) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Azerbaijani: bəhanə — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Belarusian: апраўда́нне (aprawdánnje) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Belarusian: адмо́ўка (admówka) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Belarusian: адгаво́рка (adhavórka) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Belarusian: адгаво́р (adhavór) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Bulgarian: извине́ние (izvinénie) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Bulgarian: оправда́ние (opravdánie) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Bulgarian: предло́г (predlóg) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Catalan: excusa — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Cherokee: ᏗᏢᏈᏍᏙᏗ (ditlvquisdodi) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Chinese Mandarin: 藉口 /借口 (jièkǒu) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Chinese Mandarin: 辯解 /辩解 (biànjiě) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ngazidja Comorian: udhuri — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Czech: omluva — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Czech: výmluva — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Czech: záminka — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Danish: undskyldning — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Dutch: uitvlucht — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Dutch: excuus n smoes — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Esperanto: ekskuzo — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Esperanto: senkulpigo — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Estonian: vabandus — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Finnish: tekosyy — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Finnish: veruke — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Finnish: selitys — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• French: prétexte — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• French: excuse — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• German: Ausrede — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• German: Ausflucht — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Gothic: 𐌹𐌽𐌹𐌻𐍉 (inilō) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Greek: δικαιολογία (dikaiología) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ancient Greek: σκῆψις (skêpsis) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ancient Greek: πρόφασις (próphasis) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ancient Greek: μύνη (múnē) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Hebrew: תירוץ — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Hebrew: אמתלה — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Hebrew: תֵּרוּץ (terúts) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Hindi: बहाना (bahānā) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Hungarian: mentség — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Hungarian: kifogás — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Icelandic: afsökun — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ido: exkuzo — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Irish: leithscéal — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Italian: scusa — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Italian: pretesto — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Japanese: 言い訳 (iiwake) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Japanese: 口実 (kōjitsu) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Japanese: 弁解 (benkai) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Japanese: 弁明 (benmei) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Kalmyk: шалтг (şaltg) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Khmer: លេស (leih) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Korean: 핑계 (pinggye) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Korean: 변명 (byeonmyeong) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Kyrgyz: шылтоо (şıltoo) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Latin: praetextum — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Macedonian: изговор (izgovor) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Macedonian: оправдување (opravduvanje) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Malay: alasan — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Malayalam: ക്ഷമാപണം (kṣamāpaṇaṁ) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Malayalam: ഒഴിവുകഴിവ് (oḻivukaḻivŭ) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Manchu: ᡴᠠᠨᠠᡤᠠᠨ (kanagan) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Manchu: ᡶᡳᡴᡨᡠ (fiktu) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Māori: takunga — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Māori: takutakunga — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Marathi: सबब (sabab) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Marathi: कारण (kāraṇ) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Eastern Mari: амал (amal) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Mirandese: çculpa — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Norwegian Bokmål: unnskyldning — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Occitan: excusa — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Old English: lād — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Old English: lādung — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Persian: بهانه (bahâne) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Persian: توجیه (towjih) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Persian: عذر ('ozr) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Polish: wykręt — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Polish: wymówka — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Polish: usprawiedliwienie — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Polish: pretekst — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Portuguese: desculpa — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Russian: оправда́ние (opravdánije) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Russian: отгово́рка (otgovórka) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Russian: извине́ние (izvinénije) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Russian: предло́г (predlóg) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Scottish Gaelic: leisgeul — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Serbo-Croatian: оправдање — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Serbo-Croatian: opravdanje — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Slovak: výhovorka — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Spanish: excusa — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Swedish: ursäkt — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Tagalog: dahilan — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Tamil: சாக்கு (cākku) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Tamil: பஜனை (pajaṉai) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Thai: ข้อแก้ตัว (kɔ̂ɔ-gɛ̂ɛ-dtuua) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Tocharian B: ṣewi — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Turkish: bahane — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Turkish: mazeret — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ottoman Turkish: معذرت (maʼzeret) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ottoman Turkish: قولپ (kulp) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ukrainian: відмо́вка (vidmóvka) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Ukrainian: ви́мовка (výmovka) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Urdu: بَہانَہ (bahānā) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Vietnamese: cớ — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Welsh: esgus — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Yiddish: תּירוץ (teyrets) — explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement
• Arabic: عَذَرَ (ʕaḏara) — forgive, pardon
• Belarusian: выбача́ць (vybačácʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Belarusian: вы́бачыць (výbačycʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Belarusian: прабача́ць (prabačácʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Belarusian: праба́чыць (prabáčycʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Belarusian: дарава́ць (daravácʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Belarusian: падарава́ць (padaravácʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Bulgarian: извиня́вам (izvinjávam) — forgive, pardon
• Bulgarian: извиня́ (izvinjá) — forgive, pardon
• Bulgarian: проща́вам (proštávam) — forgive, pardon
• Bulgarian: простя́ (prostjá) — forgive, pardon
• Catalan: excusar — forgive, pardon
• Chinese Mandarin: 原諒 /原谅 (yuánliàng) — forgive, pardon
• Czech: omlouvat — forgive, pardon
• Czech: omluvit — forgive, pardon
• Danish: undskylde — forgive, pardon
• Danish: tilgive — forgive, pardon
• Dutch: vergeven — forgive, pardon
• Dutch: excuseren — forgive, pardon
• Finnish: antaa anteeksi — forgive, pardon
• French: excuser — forgive, pardon
• French: pardonner — forgive, pardon
• Galician: perdoar — forgive, pardon
• German: entschuldigen — forgive, pardon
• German: verzeihen — forgive, pardon
• Greek: συγχωρώ (synchoró) — forgive, pardon
• Hebrew: מחל (makhál) — forgive, pardon
• Hebrew: סלח (salákh) — forgive, pardon
• Hungarian: megbocsát — forgive, pardon
• Ido: exkuzar — forgive, pardon
• Italian: scusare — forgive, pardon
• Italian: perdonare — forgive, pardon
• Japanese: 許す (yurusu) — forgive, pardon
• Korean: 용서하다 (yongseohada) — forgive, pardon
• Latin: īgnōscō — forgive, pardon
• Latin: excūsō — forgive, pardon
• Macedonian: извинува (izvinuva) — forgive, pardon
• Macedonian: извини (izvini) — forgive, pardon
• Malayalam: ക്ഷമിയ്ക്കുക (kṣamiykkuka) — forgive, pardon
• Norwegian: tilgi — forgive, pardon
• Norwegian: unnskylde — forgive, pardon
• Occitan: excusar — forgive, pardon
• Old English: forġiefan — forgive, pardon
• Old English: lādian — forgive, pardon
• Polish: wybaczać — forgive, pardon
• Polish: wybaczyć — forgive, pardon
• Polish: przebaczać — forgive, pardon
• Polish: przebaczyć — forgive, pardon
• Portuguese: desculpar — forgive, pardon
• Portuguese: perdoar — forgive, pardon
• Romanian: scuza — forgive, pardon
• Russian: извиня́ть (izvinjátʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Russian: извини́ть pf проща́ть (izvinítʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Russian: прости́ть (prostítʹ) — forgive, pardon
• Scottish Gaelic: math — forgive, pardon
• Slovak: ospravedlňovať — forgive, pardon
• Slovak: ospravedlniť — forgive, pardon
• Spanish: excusar — forgive, pardon
• Spanish: perdonar — forgive, pardon
• Swedish: ursäkta — forgive, pardon
• Tagalog: patawarin — forgive, pardon
• Tagalog: magpatawad — forgive, pardon
• Tamil: மன்னி (maṉṉi) — forgive, pardon
• Thai: ให้อภัย (hâi-à-pai) — forgive, pardon
• Thai: ยกโทษให้ — forgive, pardon
• Turkish: mazur görmek — forgive, pardon
• Ukrainian: вибача́ти (vybačáty) — forgive, pardon
• Ukrainian: ви́бачити (výbačyty) — forgive, pardon
• Ukrainian: пробача́ти (probačáty) — forgive, pardon
• Ukrainian: проба́чити (probáčyty) — forgive, pardon
• Ukrainian: проща́ти (proščáty) — forgive, pardon
• Ukrainian: прости́ти (prostýty) — forgive, pardon
• Ukrainian: дарува́ти (daruváty) — forgive, pardon
• Ukrainian: подарува́ти (podaruváty) — forgive, pardon
• Yiddish: אַנטשולדיקן (antshuldikn) — forgive, pardon
• Arabic: اِعْتَذَرَ (iʕtaḏara) — allow to leave
• Chinese Mandarin: 請求離開 /请求离开 (qǐngqiú líkāi) — allow to leave
• Dutch: verontschuldigen — allow to leave
• Dutch: excuseren — allow to leave
• Finnish: poistua — allow to leave
• French: excuser — allow to leave
• German: sich entschuldigen — allow to leave
• Hebrew: שחרר (shikhrér) — allow to leave
• Hungarian: elenged — allow to leave
• Hungarian: felment — allow to leave
• Italian: scusare — allow to leave
• Japanese: 言い訳をする (iiwake o suru) — allow to leave
• Latin: excuso — allow to leave
• Māori: whakawātea — allow to leave
• Old English: lādian — allow to leave
• Polish: usprawiedliwić — allow to leave
• Portuguese: escusar — allow to leave
• Portuguese: dispensar — allow to leave
• Russian: извиня́ться (izvinjátʹsja) — allow to leave
• Tagalog: hayaan — allow to leave
• Turkish: muaf tutmak — allow to leave
• Vietnamese: cho nghỉ — allow to leave
• Bulgarian: оправда́вам (opravdávam) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Bulgarian: оправда́я (opravdája) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Chinese Mandarin: 辯解 /辩解 (biànjiě) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Dutch: goedpraten — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Finnish: perustella — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• French: excuser — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• French: justifier — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• German: entschuldigen — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Hebrew: תירץ (teréts) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Hungarian: felment — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Hungarian: menteget — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Hungarian: kimagyaráz — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Hungarian: magyaráz — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Hungarian: kiment — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Italian: scusarsi — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Italian: giustificarsi — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Japanese: 弁明する (benmei suru) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Japanese: 言い訳する (iiwake suru) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Korean: 변명하다 (byeonmyeonghada) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Latin: utior — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Old English: lādian — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Polish: usprawiedliwić — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Portuguese: desculpar-se — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Punjabi: پَجّ (pajj) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Punjabi: بَہانَہ (bahāna) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Russian: опра́вдывать (oprávdyvatʹ) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Russian: оправда́ть (opravdátʹ) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Spanish: excusar — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Spanish: disculpar — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Swedish: ursäkta — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Swedish: urskuldra — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement
• Thai: แก้ตัว (gɛ̂ɛ-dtuua) — explain with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement