The difference between Excuse and Pretext
When used as nouns, excuse means explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment, whereas pretext means a false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason.
When used as verbs, excuse means to forgive, whereas pretext means to employ a pretext, which involves using a false or contrived purpose for soliciting the gain of something else.
check bellow for the other definitions of Excuse and Pretext
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Excuse as a verb (transitive):
To forgive; to pardon.
Examples:
"I excused him his transgressions."
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Excuse as a verb (transitive):
To allow to leave, or release from any obligation.
Examples:
"May I be excused from the table?"
"I excused myself from the proceedings to think over what I'd heard."
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Excuse as a verb (transitive):
To provide an excuse for; to explain, with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement.
Examples:
"You know he shouldn't have done it, so don't try to excuse his behavior!"
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Excuse as a verb:
To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.
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Excuse as a noun (countable, uncountable):
Explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault.
Examples:
"Tell me why you were late – and I don't want to hear any excuses!"
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Excuse as a noun (legal):
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.
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Excuse as a noun (with preceding negative adjective, especially {{m, sorry):
, or }} An example of something that is substandard or of inferior quality.
Examples:
"That thing is a poor excuse for a gingerbread man. Hasn't anyone taught you how to bake?"
"He's a sorry excuse of a doctor."
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Pretext as a noun:
A false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason; a pretense.
Examples:
"The reporter called the company on the pretext of trying to resolve a consumer complaint."
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Pretext as a verb:
To employ a pretext, which involves using a false or contrived purpose for soliciting the gain of something else.
Examples:
"The spy obtained his phone records using possibly-illegal pretexting methods."