Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To make excuse for or regretful acknowledgment of a fault or offense.
- v. To make a formal defense or justification in speech or writing.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To make an apology or defense; speak or write in favor of some person or thing; offer defensive arguments.
- To make an apology or excuse; acknowledge or express regret for a fault: followed by for: as, he apologized for his delay in replying.
- To make or write an apology for; defend.
- Also spelled apologise.
Wiktionary
- v. intransitive To make an apology or defence.
- v. intransitive To make an apology or excuse; to acknowledge some fault or offense, with expression of regret for it, by way of amends
- v. intransitive To express regret that a certain event has occurred.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To make an apology or defense.
- v. To make an apology or excuse; to make acknowledgment of some fault or offense, with expression of regret for it, by way of amends; -- with
for ;as , my correspondentapologized for not answering my letter. - v. obsolete To defend.
WordNet 3.0
- v. defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
- v. acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing
Etymologies
- apology + -ize, from Ancient Greek απολογία (apología, "a speech in defense"), from απολογέομαι (apologéomai, "to speak in one’s defense"), from απόλογος (apólogos, "an account, story"), compound of απο- (apo-, "from, off") and λόγος (lógos, "speech"). (Wiktionary)
Examples
“The same attitude that wants Obama to apologize is the same attitude that caused the white officer to arrest a black man in his own home.”
“The only person needing to apologize is the arresting officer.”
“September 10th, 2009 12: 12 am ET let John McCain apologize that old man likes it on his knees.”
“The only dem to apologize is Obama to the world and that was not his right.”
“The reason why Wilson had to apologize is because he disrespected the Office of the President of the United States by slandering him during a televised address to congress.”
“Sharron Angle's heartless comments, and her refusal to repudiate them and apologize is just further evidence that she's too extreme and dangerous to represent Nevadans in the U.S.”
The Huffington Post: Autism Advocates Furious Over Angle's Health Care Comments
“He didnt need to apologize until Palin apologize to wolves for shooting them from helicopter.”
“The American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants, which represents about 80,000 families, said Iott's "failure to apologize is particularly shameful and desecrates the memory of all victims of the Nazis, Jew and non-Jew.”
“When the top of the second inning began, broadcaster Chip Caray said: We again apologize profusely for the technical difficulties we had back in Atlanta.”
“General, I John McCain apologize to you and the nation that you serve for being self centered in exploiting you and every member of the Armed Services.”
McCain admits mistake in using Petraeus picture for fundraising
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘apologize’.
-
Tati's list
comfortable
comfortable, avocado, avoid, beautiful, beer, bear, brief, breath, bug, bias, burn, case and 97 more...
-
POL - What is Mitt talking about?
Key terms from Mitt Romney's election campaign
good and generous..., hard fought election, go back to work, optimistic and po..., confident in the ..., optimism, uniquely American, nation of immigrants, want a better life, life in that plac..., pursuit of the ri..., richness of this ... and 369 more...
-
Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
-
Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
a, abandon, ability, able, abortion, about, above, abroad, absence, absolute, absolutely, absorb and 4334 more...
-
Prosie: Obama's Inaugural Address
In keeping with my other Prosies (like this one). There were a number of phrases as well as words in this speech that I found particularly compelling.
My fellow citizens: I stand here ...we did not turn b..., when we were tested, what storms may come, icy currents, virtue, hope, alarmed, depth of winter, revolution, snow, enemy, abandoned and 257 more...
-
Words of the Day
glabella, chirotony, nook-shotten, crapehanger, filemot, swirlie, egosurf, lexiphanicism, Ruritanian, stichometry, chrononaut, faldstool and 2050 more...
-
The things they carried (List 2)
Listening to this as an audio book for the second time. Tim O'Brien uses simple words and phrases to great effect. Very few unfamilar and big words . The writing style reminds me of words from Joh...
The, Things, They, Carried, meant, fond, By necessity,, presented to him, far beyond, against the brick..., reaching, taut and 2940 more...
-
Words that are also songs
Totally ripped off from John.
tribute, sister, mother, pain, plowed, peaches, lump, kitty, drive, warning, duvet, clocks and 46 more...
-
MEC2 Lesson 126
gross, avante garde, pajamas, rude, coffeepot, bottle, apologize, afterwards, husband, bachelor, GNP
-
TN9 Lesson 104
excuse, lame, jerk, make up, buddy, apology, apologize, preparations, graduate, graduation, organize, simplify and 12 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for apologize.

lampbane "You tell me that you're sorry
Didn't think I'd turn around
And say
That it's too late to apologize
It's too late
I said it's too late to apologize
It's too late" Aug 29, 2008