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unexcused

unexcused

4.6
Describes an absence or action with no permission and no good reason
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnɪkˈskjuːzd/
translation icon : injustificado
  • High-intensity workers made worse grades, had more unexcused absences per week, slept in class, were tardy to school more frequently, and were less confident about graduating from college than nonworkers.

Examples

  • Students with unexcused absences risk failing the course.

  • The teacher noted that all of his late submissions were unexcused.

  • Her frequent unexcused absences from class worried her parents.

Synonyms

unwarranted
vsunexcused
31 7.0

Not having a good reason or official permission

relates specifically to absence of excuse or permission rather than deservingness
uncalled for
vsunexcused
21 5.1

Not appropriate or needed for the situation

applies to lack of formal excuse or permission rather than mere inappropriateness
unjustified
vsunexcused
19 4.8

Not having a good reason for something

focuses more on lacking formal permission or an excuse than proof

Antonyms

4 4.1

Having a good reason for an action or feeling

3.5

Allowed to miss something because someone gave permission

How Excused

justified
4 4.1
excused
3.5
unexcused
4.6
inexcusable
35 5.6

Surface Forms

unexcused positive
unexcuseder comparative
unexcusedest superlative

Morphology

unexcused = excused (transparent) = un + excuse + ed

A regular negative prefix 'un-' is added to the adjective 'excused' to mean 'not excused', which B1 learners can derive from known components.

Etymology

Unexcused starts with the prefix un- meaning 'not', just like in unhappy, and uses excuse meaning 'a reason or permission'. So unexcused means 'not given a reason' or 'without permission', which is why an unexcused absence has no valid reason.