From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Exculpation \Ex'cul*pa"tion\, noun [Cf. LL. exculpatio.] The act of exculpating from alleged fault or crime; that which exculpates; excuse.
These robbers, however, were men who might have made out a strong case in exculpation of themselves. --Southey.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: 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" [syn: {excuse}, {alibi}, {self-justification}]
2: the act of freeing from guilt or blame
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
39 Moby Thesaurus words for "exculpation": absolution, acquittal, acquittance, amnesty, clearance, clearing, compurgation, destigmatization, destigmatizing, discharge, disculpation, dismissal, excuse, exemption, exoneration, explanation, forgiveness, grace, immunity, indemnity, justification, pardon, purgation, purging, quietus, quittance, rationalization, redemption, rehabilitation, reinstatement, release, remission, remission of sin, reprieve, restoration, shrift, sparing, verdict of acquittal, vindication
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