Etymology Map
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Excuse

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to forgive a fault

Where does the word "excuse" come from? It comes from Latin excusare, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
excusare
Latin · ancient
"to free from blame"
'ex-', out of, plus 'causa', accusation
2
Stage 2 of 3
escuser
Old French · medieval
"to excuse"
the root of 'cause' is also in 'accuse'
3
Stage 3 of 3
excuse
English · 1200s
"to pardon"
'excuse me' as a polite phrase is from the 1500s
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Read the full story

Excuse’s story begins in Latin: excusare meant “to free from blame.” 'ex-', out of, plus 'causa', accusation. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as escuser. The root of 'cause' is also in 'accuse'. It reached English by 1200s as excuse. 'excuse me' as a polite phrase is from the 1500s. Today, excuse means to forgive a fault.