excusable

IPA/ɪkˈskjuːzəbl/
KK[ɪkskjˈuzəbəl]IPA/ɪkˈskjuːzəbl/

excusable — adjective

  • excusablepositive
  • more excusablecomparative
  • most excusablesuperlative

1. describing a mistake, action, or failure that can reasonably be forgiven, usuall

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a mistake, action, or failure that can reasonably be forgiven, usually because the person had a good reason or it was not their fault.

Example

Mei-Lin was late because her train broke down, which is an excusable delay.

collocation: excusable delay / excusable mistake

The judge ruled that the officer's error was excusable given the confusing situation.

passive: was excusable given [reason]

Common collocations
  • excusable mistake
  • excusable delay
  • excusable error
  • excusable absence
  • excusable neglect (legal)
Synonyms
  • forgivable

    more personal and emotional; excusable is slightly more formal

  • pardonable

    more formal, often used in legal or moral contexts

  • understandable

    focuses on the reason being clear rather than the fault being forgiven

Antonyms
  • inexcusable

    the direct opposite; much more common than excusable itself

  • unforgivable

    stronger emotional weight; implies the fault is beyond any acceptable reason

Usage Note

Frequently used in legal or formal contexts to assess whether a failure was avoidable. The antonym 'inexcusable' is more common in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

His behaviour was excusable to me.
I found his behaviour excusable.
'excusable' describes the action, not a person's attitude toward it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all describe something that can be accepted despite being wrong, but they differ in tone and context. 'Excusable' is the most formal and often appears in legal or official discussions of errors or failures ('The court found the delay excusable given the weather'). 'Forgivable' feels warmer and more personal — it emphasises letting go of hurt feelings rather than judging an action ('His thoughtless comment was forgivable because he apologised right away'). 'Pardonable' is the most formal and is typically used in moral or legal contexts ('A pardonable weakness in an otherwise strong character'). 'Understandable' focuses on empathy with the reason rather than on granting forgiveness ('Her frustration was understandable after waiting two hours'). In everyday speech, 'understandable' is the most common choice; 'excusable' and 'pardonable' sound more deliberate and analytical.

excusable ↗forgivable ↗pardonable ↗understandable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • excusable mistake
  • excusable delay
  • excusable error
  • excusable absence
  • excusable neglect

Adverbs

  • barely excusable
  • perfectly excusable
  • hardly excusable
  • entirely excusable

Phrases

  • find something excusable
  • consider something excusable
  • deem something excusable

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'excuse' entered English through Old French 'escuser', which came from Latin 'excusare' — formed from 'ex-' (out, away) and 'causa' (cause, reason, legal case). The original idea was 'to free from a legal charge or accusation by giving a reason'. The adjective 'excusable' developed later, describing something that can be freed from blame. The core sense of 'offering a reason to be let off' has remained remarkably stable across nearly a thousand years of use.