a note explaining an absence; "he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him"
a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.; "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable"
excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with; "excuse someone's behavior"; "She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities"
serve as a reason or cause or justification of; "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again"
grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this class"
ask for permission to be released from an engagement
accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands"
feeling or showing worry or solicitude; "concerned parents of youthful offenders"; "was concerned about the future"; "we feel concerned about accomplishing the task at hand"; "greatly concerned not to disappoint a small child"
involved in or affected by or having a claim to or share in; "a memorandum to those concerned"; "an enterprise in which three men are concerned"; "factors concerned in the rise and fall of epidemics"; "the interested parties met to discuss the business"
in relation (or in regard) to; especially as in the phrases; "as far as x is concerned"; "where x is concerned"
a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right); "suffrage was the prerogative of white adult males"
characterized by energetic activity; "an active toddler"; "active as a gazelle"; "an active man is a man of action"
engaged in full-time work; "active duty"; "though past retirement age he is still active in his profession"
full of activity or engaged in continuous activity; "an active seaport"; "an active bond market"; "an active account"
tending to become more severe or wider in scope; "active tuberculosis"
disposed to take action or effectuate change; "a director who takes an active interest in corporate operations"; "an active antagonism"; "he was active in drawing attention to their grievances"
(of e.g. volcanos) erupting or liable to erupt; "active volcanos"
(of e.g. volcanos) capable of erupting
expressing action rather than a state of being; used of verbs (e.g. `to run') and participial adjectives (e.g. `running' in `running water')
expressing that the subject of the sentence has the semantic function of actor: "Hemingway favors active constructions"
exerting influence or producing a change or effect; "an active ingredient"
of the sun; characterized by a high level activity in sunspots and flares and radio emissions
in operation; "keep hope alive"; "the tradition was still alive"; "an active tradition"
taking part in an activity; "an active member of the club"; "he was politically active"; "the participating organizations"
engaged in or ready for military or naval operations; "on active duty"; "the platoon is combat-ready"; "review the fighting forces"
not influenced or affected; "stewed in its petty provincialism untouched by the brisk debates that stirred the old world"- V.L.Parrington; "unswayed by personal considerations"