[noun] (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
[noun] a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.; "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:excuse, exculpation, self-justification