apologize

American  

[uh-pol-uh-jahyz] / əˈpɒl əˌdʒaɪz /

especially British, apologise

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.

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apologize British  

/ əˈpɒləˌdʒaɪz /

verb

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

2. to make a formal defence in speech or writing

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of apologize

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

Example Sentences

Hundreds of the chain’s outlets briefly closed, and it took out a full-page ad in British newspapers to apologize—kind of.

From The Wall Street Journal

She saw the hurt, apologized, brought you an ice cream sundae later.

From Literature

Once he apologizes and decides to listen to me, things can get better again.

From Literature

Clare apologized, though he could hardly see what fun they were interrupting.

From Literature

Ms. Hadden has since apologized for suggesting the victim caused her own death while blaming media for “intentionally creating sound bites to misconstrue my words during this tragedy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• atone
• confess
• retract
• withdraw