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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, excuse |
| Synonyms: | absolution, account, acquittal, advocacy, answer, apologia, apology, approval, argument, basis, confirmation, defense, exculpation, exoneration, explanation, extenuation, grounds, idea, mitigation, palliation, palliative, plea, pretext, raison d'être, rationale, rationalization, rebuttal, redemption, reply, response, salvation, sanctification, song and dance, story, support, validation, vindication, warrant, whatfor, wherefore, whitewashing, whole idea, why and wherefore |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
| Main Entry: | account |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | basis or consideration for action |
| Synonyms: | cause, ground, grounds, interest, justification, motive, rationale, rationalization, reason, regard, sake |
| Main Entry: | advocacy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | support for an idea or cause |
| Synonyms: | advancement, aid, assistance, backing, campaigning for, championing, defense, encouragement, justification, pleading for, promotion, promulgation, propagation, proposal, recommendation, upholding, urging |
| Antonyms: | attack, opposition, protest |
| Main Entry: | alibi |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | defense against charges of wrongdoing; evidence of absence |
| Synonyms: | account, affirmation, airtight case, allegation, answer, assertion, assurance, avowal, case, cop-out, cover, declaration, excuse, explanation, fish story, justification, plea, pretext, profession, proof, reason, reply, retort, song and dance, stall, statement, vindication |
| Notes: | an alias is an assumed name, an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed, while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness |
| Main Entry: | answer |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reply; reaction |
| Synonyms: | acknowledgment, antiphon, back talk, backcap, band-aid, close, comeback, comment, cooler, counterclaim, crack, defense, disclosure, echo, elucidation, explanation, feedback, guff, interpretation, justification, key, lip, observation, parting shot, pay dirt, plea, quick fix, rebuttal, refutation, rejoinder, remark, repartee, report, resolution, response, result, retort, return, rhetorical question, riposte, sign, solution, statement, thank-you note, the ticket, topper, vindication, wisecrack |
| Notes: | an answer is something said, written, or done in return; a reply is an answer that satisfies a detail in a question |
| Antonyms: | question |
| Main Entry: | apology |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | offering of remorse, regret |
| Synonyms: | acknowledgment, admission, amends, atonement, concession, confession, defense, excuse, explanation, extenuation, justification, mea culpa, mitigation, plea, redress, reparation, vindication |
| Antonyms: | accusation, censure, charge, complaint, condemnation, criticism, defiance, indictment |
| Main Entry: | basis |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | foundation for belief, action |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, assumption, authority, axiom, backbone, background, backing, base, bedrock, cause, center, chief ingredient, core, crux, data, dictum, essence, essential, evidence, explanation, footing, fundamental, hard fact, heart, infrastructure, justification, keynote, keystone, law, nexus, nucleus, postulate, premise, presumption, presupposition, principal element, principle, proof, reason, root, rudiment, sanction, security, source, substratum, support, theorem, theory, underpinning, warrant |
| Main Entry: | call |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | need, cause for action |
| Synonyms: | claim, excuse, grounds, justification, necessity, obligation, occasion, reason, right, urge |
| Main Entry: | excuse |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, explanation |
| Synonyms: | alibi, apology, cleanup, cop-out, cover story, cover*, coverup, defense, disguise, evasion, expedient, extenuation, fish story, grounds, jive, justification, makeshift, mitigation, plea, pretext, rationalization, regrets, routine, semblance, shift, song and dance, song*, stall, stopgap, story, substitute, subterfuge, trick*, vindication, whitewash, why and wherefore |
| Notes: | an alias is an assumed name, an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed, while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness a pardon is the act of excusing a mistake or offense; an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
