apologize

especially British, a·pol·o·gise

[uh-pol-uh-jahyz]

verb (used without object)

apologized, apologizing 

1. to offer an apology or excuse for some fault, insult, failure, or injury.

   He apologized for accusing her falsely.

2. to make a formal defense in speech or writing.

apologize

/ əˈpɒləˌdʒaɪz /

verb

1. to express or make an apology; acknowledge failings or faults

2. to make a formal defence in speech or writing

Other Word Forms

• apologizer noun
• reapologize verb (used with object)
• unapologizing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of apologize¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; apolog(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

“I love it,” Armisen promises as our Zoom conversation goes over the hour mark and I apologize for keeping him.

From Los Angeles Times

Netanyahu earlier Monday formally apologized to Qatar for its recent attack on Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha.

From Los Angeles Times

Kimmel clarified himself without apologizing, which is worth noting because that implicitly acknowledges he has nothing for which to be sorry.

From Salon

She apologized and said she thought Jarrett was white, not Black.

From Los Angeles Times

The finale’s script has a lot of lines worthy of stitching on throw pillows, but one of my favorites is when Joe apologizes to Wendy for helping his former military buddies get them recaptured.

From Salon

Related Words

• atone 
• confess 
• retract 
• withdraw 

When To Use

Spelling tips for apologize

The word apologize is hard to spell because it is pronounced like it might be spelled with two as and a j [ uh-pol-uh-jahyz ]. To make it even more confusing, apologize is the American English spelling of the word. In British English, it is spelled with an s: apologise.How to spell apologize: The easiest way to remember how to spell apologize is to break it into three parts: apo - log - ize. The suffix -ize is used to describe kinds of behavior. You can also pronounce it this way in your head to help the spelling stick.