Admitting of excuse or palliation. As used in the law, this word implies that the act or omission spoken of is on its face unlawful, wrong, or liable to entail loss or disadvantage on the person charge-able, but that the circumstances attending it. were such as to constitute a legal “excuse” for lt, that is, a legal reason for withholding or foregoing the punishment, liability, or disadvantage which otherwise would follow
Source: Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
