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Synonyms

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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Resnicks said they were unaware of the cutting, apologized, donated the land to a nature conservancy and agreed to plant thousands of trees on vineyard property.

From Los Angeles Times

"I sincerely apologize for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve," he said.

From BBC

“Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately, I am still unable to express myself adequately in French. I sincerely apologize for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve,” Rousseau said.

From The Wall Street Journal

It apologized again, with the funniest line of our relationship.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the bank quickly retracted it and apologized for the idea, with its research analysts later attributing the continuing downturn to “media attention.”

From The Wall Street Journal