Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An acknowledgment expressing regret or asking pardon for a fault or offense.
  • noun A formal justification or defense.
  • noun An explanation or excuse.
  • noun An inferior substitute.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Something said or written in defense, vindication, or excuse; specifically, a defense or justification of a doctrine, system, course of conduct, etc., against objections or criticisms.
  • noun An excuse, usually accompanied by an expression of regret, for some fault.
  • noun That which imperfectly serves a given purpose; a temporary substitute; a makeshift.
  • noun An apologue.
  • noun Synonyms

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb obsolete To offer an apology.
  • noun Something said or written in defense or justification of what appears to others wrong, or of what may be liable to disapprobation; justification.
  • noun An acknowledgment intended as an atonement for some improper or injurious remark or act; an admission to another of a wrong or discourtesy done him, accompanied by an expression of regret.
  • noun Anything provided as a substitute; a makeshift.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An expression of remorse or regret for having said or done something that harmed another: an instance of apologizing (saying that one is sorry).
  • noun A formal justification, defence.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a poor example
  • noun an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone
  • noun a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin apologia, from Greek apologiā : apo-, apo- + logos, speech; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French apologie, from Late Latin apologia, from Ancient Greek ἀπολογία (apologia, "a speech in defence"), from ἀπολογοῦμαι (apologoumai, "I speak in one's defense"), from ἀπόλογος (apologos, "an account, story"), from ἀπό (apo, "from, off") (see apo-) + λόγος (logos, "speech").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word apology.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.