apologize
Americanverb (used without object)
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to offer an apology or excuse for some fault, insult, failure, or injury.
He apologized for accusing her falsely.
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to make a formal defense in speech or writing.
verb
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to express or make an apology; acknowledge failings or faults
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to make a formal defence in speech or writing
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
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 think tank apologized for what it said was an “unauthorized and unapproved edit” and fired an employee over the incident.
Some years they spent this day apologizing for their playoff collapses.
From Los Angeles Times
Lemon was pulled from the air and forced to apologize to colleagues, some of whom had called for his dismissal.
From Los Angeles Times
Sometimes my mother apologizes to me for not giving me a better father.
“I do apologize,” I say, removing my backside from the squash of her box.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
