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

Those posts have since been removed, and Townsend has posted a video on her Instagram Story in which the world’s top-ranked doubles player apologizes “sincerely from the bottom of my heart.”

From Los Angeles Times

He apologizes to his roommate and asks them to avoid speaking to the police without a lawyer.

From Salon

After facing widespread condemnation, he apologized on Sunday for what he called his “extremely callous remarks.”

From Salon

More recently, Fox News aired a segment in which Kilmeade apologized for his remarks.

From Salon

Routh agreed and apologized, but the judge again cut him off when he resumed, instructing Routh that his opening remarks were over.

From BBC

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.