1. Granted exemption
   "one of the excused jurors planned to write a book"

1. Excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
   "excuse someone's behaviour";
   - condone
    
2. Serve as a reason, cause or justification of
   "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work";
   - explain
    
3. Free someone from an obligation, duty, payment, or punishment
   "Please excuse me from this class";
   - relieve, let off, exempt
    
4. Ask for permission to be released from an engagement
   "He excused himself from the dinner party";
   - beg off
    
5. Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
   "excuse the child's seemingly crazy behaviour";
   - rationalize, rationalise [Brit]
    
6. Accept an excuse for
   "Please excuse my dirty hands";
   - pardon

See also: beg, exempt

Type of: absolve, ask for, bespeak, call for, defend, forgive, free, justify, pardon, request, support, vindicate

Encyclopedia: Excused