exculpation

Noun

• the act of freeing from guilt or blame

• 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
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  excuse , alibi , self-justification