L'excuse
Example: Son excuse pour le retard semblait peu convaincante hier.
Definition
"L'excuse" refers to a reason or explanation given to justify or defend a fault, mistake, or failure. It is often used to lessen blame or avoid punishment, as in the example phrase, where the excuse for being late was unconvincing.
Etymology
The word "l'excuse" comes from the Latin 'excusare,' meaning 'to free from blame.' It entered French through Old French, maintaining the sense of pleading or justifying. Did you know? The root 'ex-' means 'out of' and 'causa' means 'cause' or 'reason,' so it literally means 'to take out the cause of blame.'
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"L'excuse" appears in the Vocaplus list "French - General - (C1) - set 2", containing 116 commonly used words.
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