apology
Americannoun
-
apologies
plural
-
a written or spoken expression of one's regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, failed, injured, or wronged another.
He demanded an apology from me for calling him a crook.
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a defense, excuse, or justification in speech or writing, as for a cause or doctrine.
- Synonyms:
- vindication
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(initial capital letter, italics) a dialogue by Plato, centering on Socrates' defense before the tribunal that condemned him to death.
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an inferior specimen or substitute; makeshift.
The tramp wore a sad apology for a hat.
noun
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an oral or written expression of regret or contrition for a fault or failing
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a poor substitute or offering
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another word for apologia
Synonym Usage
See excuse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of apology
First recorded in 1500–50; earlier apologie, late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Late Latin apologia, from Greek apología, “speech in self-defense; defense,” see apologia
Explanation
An apology is what you say or do when you want to let someone know (or fool them into thinking) that you regret something. An apology is nice, but chocolates or large bundles of cash are nicer. Always. The noun apology has its roots in the Greek apologos, meaning a story. It entered the English language in the Middle Ages. If you broke your friend’s sword and then made up an elaborate story to get out of trouble, that was an apology. After a few decades, the general sense of the word shifted to its current meaning — what you say when you want to express real remorse.
Vocabulary lists containing apology
Two-Faced Words: Contronyms
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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.
See Examples For:
Hoping to avoid a similar fate over the long term, La Liga president Javier Tebas echoed Mbappé’s apology within hours.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Utah issued an apology even as an avalanche of social media reaction was mainly critical of McAfee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
In 2022 Nicola Sturgeon, then Scotland’s first minister, delivered a formal apology on behalf of the government to the deceased.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
It will also "demand an apology and responsible measures from North Korea, while calling for dialogue to prevent further escalation of tensions and restore trust", he added.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
“Am I about to receive an apology for all the food and cigarettes you’ve borrowed from me?”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
A senior royal aide said that the King would "not shy away from the darkest days of our past" but stressed that decisions over apologies and reparations were matters for government.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
My apologies to all those running the private health insurers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
"We must offer our apologies to the athletes and others affected by these inconveniences," said Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, who is also acting chairman of the local organising committee.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
USC suspended linebacker Desman Stephens II for one game and issued apologies after he celebrated delivering a late hit that injured Oregon quarterback Dante Moore Saturday at the Coliseum, the school announced Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Ignoring his mingled oaths and apologies, Harry addressed Lupin again.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
