excuse

a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.

“he kept finding excuses to stay”

excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with

“excuse someone's behavior”

ask for permission to be released from an engagement

serve as a reason or cause or justification of

“Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work”

accept an excuse for

“Please excuse my dirty hands”

grant exemption or release to

“Please excuse me from this class”

defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning

a poor example

“a poor excuse for an automobile”

a note explaining an absence

“he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him”