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.
-
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
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:
She called on Raman to retract her remarks and issue an apology, saying Gates “inflicted serious harm to the African American community.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Offended and upset, some fans demanded an apology - but the band's record label, forbade the members from issuing a statement.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
South Korea's military demanded an official apology last week, accusing Pyongyang of "a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement", while Seoul's civilian leadership called for the North to return to dialogue.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Mr. Barnett, who has written adaptations of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” and “Rumpelstiltskin,” is clearly steeped in the grand tradition of fairy-tale villains getting their comeuppance without apology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Shaking the captain’s hand and offering an apology for what might have seemed like a lecture, he disappeared into the evening shadows.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Writing on Facebook on Friday, Feeney said he wanted "to offer my sincere and unreserved apologies for the comments I made in the recording that has recently come to light".
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"I deeply regret it and offer my heartfelt apologies without reservation."
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Some restaurant owners make no apologies for their embrace of AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
The group also tagged Sheeran, claiming that “concert goers are owed apologies and refunds.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Dorian, realizing how close he was to crossing a boundary between impertinence and rebellion—a boundary that he’d been very, very careful to maintain—mumbled his apologies.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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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.
