Decrease and Excuse

noun

• A change downward.
  • usage: "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"
  • synonyms: lessening, drop-off
• A process of becoming smaller or shorter.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The amount by which something decreases.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The act of decreasing or reducing something.
  • synonyms: diminution, reduction, step-down

verb

• Decrease in size, extent, or range.
  • usage: "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
  • synonyms: diminish, lessen, fall
• Make smaller.
  • usage: "He decreased his staff"
  • synonyms: lessen, minify

• (v.t.) To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.
• (v.) A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
• (n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc. or in strength, quality or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.
• (v.) The wane of the moon.

noun

• A defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc..
  • usage: "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable"
  • synonyms: alibi, exculpation, self-justification
• A note explaining an absence.
  • usage: "he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him"
• A poor example.
  • usage: "it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor excuse for an automobile"
  • synonyms: apology

verb

• Accept an excuse for.
  • usage: "Please excuse my dirty hands"
  • synonyms: pardon
• Grant exemption or release to.
  • usage: "Please excuse me from this class"
  • synonyms: relieve, let off, exempt
• Serve as a reason or cause or justification of.
  • usage: "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again"
  • synonyms: explain
• Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning.
  • usage: "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success"
  • synonyms: apologize, apologise, justify, rationalize, rationalise
• Ask for permission to be released from an engagement.
  • synonyms: beg off
• Excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with.
  • usage: "excuse someone's behavior"; "She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities"
  • synonyms: condone

• (v.t.) To free from an impending obligation or duty; hence, to disengage; to dispense with; to release by favor; also, to remit by favor; not to exact; as, to excuse a forfeiture.
• (v.t.) To regard with indulgence; to view leniently or to overlook; to pardon.
• (v.t.) That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault.
• (v.t.) The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; justification; extenuation.
• (v.t.) To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for.
• (v.t.) To pardon, as a fault; to forgive entirely or to admit to be little censurable, and to overlook; as, we excuse irregular conduct, when extraordinary circumstances appear to justify it.
• (v.t.) That which is offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or irregular deportment; apology; as, an excuse for neglect of duty; excuses for delay of payment.
• (v.t.) To free from accusation or the imputation of fault or blame; to clear from guilt; to release from a charge; to justify by extenuating a fault; to exculpate; to absolve; to acquit.