EXCUSE
The explanation for the performance or nonper-
formance of a particular act; a reason alleged in
court as a basis for exemption or relief from guilt.
An excuse is essentially a defense for an indi-
vidual’s conduct that is intended to mitigate the
individual’s blameworthiness for a particular act
or to explain why the individual acted in a specific
manner.A driver sued for NEGLIGENCE, for exam-
ple, might raise the defense of excuse if the driver
was rushing an injured person to a hospital, or if
some unforeseen illness or mechanical failure
