Excuse

In a broad sense, a reason alleged for the doing or not doing a thing. In a stricter sense, it does not include justification, but implies that, though the act complained of was improperly done, facts by way of mitigation relieve the doer from legal liability. In this sense, an excuse is facts mitigating the act, or depriving it of ' legal culpability. Compare, for example, "Excusable Homicide" and "Justifiable Homicide."