different between defence vs excuse

English

Alternative forms

• defense (American)

Etymology

From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Latin d?fensa (“protection”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d??f?ns/
• Rhymes: -?ns

Noun

defence (countable and uncountable, plural defences) (British spelling)

1. The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
   • c. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act II, Scene 4,^[1]

     In cases of defence ’tis best to weigh

     The enemy more mighty than he seems:

2. Something used to oppose attacks.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 12,^[2]

     And nothing ’gainst Time’s scythe can make defence

     Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

3. An argument in support or justification of something.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 89,^[3]

     Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,

     Against thy reasons making no defence.
4. (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
5. (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
6. Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.

7. (obsolete) Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
   • 1673, William Temple, “An Essay upon the Advancement of Trade in Ireland” in Miscellanea, London: Edw[ard] Gellibrand, 1680, p. 116,^[5]

     […] severe defences may be made against weaving any Linnen under a certain breadth, such as may be of better use to the poorest People […]

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:defence

Antonyms

• offence (Commonwealth), offense (US)

Usage notes

The noun spelling is mainly used in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, defense is more commonly used in America.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

defence (third-person singular simple present defences, present participle defencing, simple past and past participle defenced)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To furnish with defences; to fortify.
   • 1656, John Hales, Dixi Custodiam

     Better manned and more strongly defenced.

English

Etymology

From Middle English excusen, borrowed from Old French escuser, from Latin exc?s?, exc?s?re (“to excuse, allege in excuse, literally, free from a charge”), from ex (“out”) + causa (“a charge”); see cause, accuse and recuse. Displaced native Old English l?dian (“to excuse”) and l?dung (“an excuse”).

Pronunciation

Verb

• (UK) enPR: ?kskyo?oz', IPA^(key): /?k?skju?z/, /?ks?kju?z/
• (US) enPR: ?kskyo?oz', IPA^(key): /?ks?kjuz/, /?ks?kjuz/
• Rhymes: -u?z

Noun

• (UK) enPR: ?kskyo?os', IPA^(key): /?k?skju?s/, /?ks?kju?s/
• (US) enPR: ?kskyo?os', IPA^(key): /?ks?kjus/, /?ks?kjus/
• Rhymes: -u?s

Verb

excuse (third-person singular simple present excuses, present participle excusing, simple past and past participle excused)

1. (transitive) To forgive; to pardon.
   • c. 1685, John Sharp, A Discourse of Conscience

     If they say that he did sin in doing this, then they must at the same time acknowledge that a man's persuasion that a thing is a duty will not excuse him from guilt in practising it

2. (transitive) To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.

3. (transitive) To provide an excuse for; to explain, with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement.

4. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.

   • Think ye that we excuse ourselves to you?

Synonyms

• (to release from guilt, shame, or punishment): forgive, let off the hook, let pass, pardon, unguilt

Derived terms

• 'scuse
• excuse me
• excuse my French
• XQs

Translations

Noun

excuse (countable and uncountable, plural excuses)

1. (countable, uncountable) Explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.
   • 1604-11, Bible (King James Version), Luke: XIV:18

     And they all with one consent began to make excuse.

2. (law) A defense to a criminal or civil charge wherein the accused party admits to doing acts for which legal consequences would normally be appropriate, but asserts that special circumstances relieve that party of culpability for having done those acts.
3. (with preceding negative adjective, especially sorry, poor or lame) An example of something that is substandard or of inferior quality.

Usage notes

• We often say to make an excuse.

Synonyms

• (explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment): pretext release, clear, justify, forgive, tolerate, overlook, exempt, pardon, discharge, pretext, bear with, acquit, exonerate, absolve, pretense, vindicate.

Translations

Further reading

• excuse in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• excuse in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

French

Etymology

From excuser.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k.skyz/
• (Colloquial) IPA^(key): /?s.skyz/

Noun

excuse f (plural excuses)

1. excuse

Verb

excuse

1. first-person singular present indicative of excuser
2. third-person singular present indicative of excuser
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of excuser
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of excuser
5. second-person singular imperative of excuser

Further reading

• “excuse” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Participle

exc?se

1. vocative masculine singular of exc?sus

Spanish

Verb

excuse

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of excusar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of excusar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of excusar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of excusar.