alibi and excuse share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. alibi means “(law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question”. excuse means “accept an excuse for”. excuse is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈæləˌbaɪ/
1.n.(law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
2.n.a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
“he kept finding excuses to stay”
3.v.exonerate by means of an alibi
/ɪkˈskjus/
1.v.accept an excuse for
“Please excuse my dirty hands”
2.v.grant exemption or release to
“Please excuse me from this class”
3.v.serve as a reason or cause or justification of
“Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work”
| alibi | excuse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈæləˌbaɪ/ | /ɪkˈskjus/ |
| Said | AL-uh-bahy | ik-SKYOOS |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 3 | 9 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | pardon |
Full entry for alibi · Full entry for excuse · More comparisons