apology
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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
-
a poor substitute or offering
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another word for apologia
Synonym Usage
See excuse.
Other Word Forms
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.
Complainant A said she believed the letter was "an apology for what he did to me".
From BBC • May 29, 2026
Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin bowed in apology over the incident during the Tuesday press briefing and asked for forgiveness from bereaved families of the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
But a warranted apology from Candace Owens does not redeem her.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
Three hours later, he posted an apology for his communications blunder.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Zeke rapidly rushed out the rest of the apology he’d been forced to agree to after Principal Wombat couldn’t get hold of his mom.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
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.
