apologetics

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noun

A systematic defense of a position, or of religious or occult doctrine.

OriginLate Latin apologia ← Ancient Greek ἀπολογία →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounapologetics (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA systematic defense of a position, or of religious or occult doctrine.
  2. uncountableA branch of theology devoted to such a defense of Christianity specifically.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀπολογία“a speech in defense”
  2. Late Latinapologia
  3. Englishapologetics

From Late Latin apologia, from Ancient Greek ἀπολογία (apología, “a speech in defense”), from ἀπολογοῦμαι (apologoûmai, “I speak in one's defense”), from ἀπόλογος (apólogos, “an account, story”), from ἀπό (apó, “from, off”) (see apo-) + λόγος (lógos, “speech”) + -ics.

More words from Late Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic دِفَاعِيَّات
  • دِفَاعِيَّات (difāʕiyyāt)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Bulgarian апологе́тика
  • апологе́тика (apologétika)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Chinese Cantonese 護教學 /护教学
  • 護教學 /护教学 (wu⁶ gaau³ hok⁶)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Chinese Mandarin 護教學 /护教学
  • 護教學 /护教学 (hùjiàoxué)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Czech apologetika
  • apologetikafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Dutch apologetiek
  • apologetiekfield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Finnish apologetiikka
  • apologetiikkafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
French apologétique
  • apologétiquefield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
German Apologetik
  • Apologetikfield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Greek απολογητική
  • απολογητική (apologitikí)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Hindi आपत्तिखण्डन
  • आपत्तिखण्डन (āpattikhaṇḍan)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Hungarian apologetika
  • apologetikafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Indonesian apologetika
  • apologetikafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Italian apologetica
  • apologeticafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Japanese 弁証学
  • 弁証学 (benshōgaku)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Korean 변증학
  • 변증학 (byeonjeunghak)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Norwegian Bokmål apologetikk
  • apologetikkfield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Polish apologetyka
  • apologetykafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Portuguese apologética
  • apologéticafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Romanian apologetică
  • apologeticăfield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Russian апологе́тика
  • апологе́тика (apologétika)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Slovak apologetika
  • apologetikafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Spanish apologética
  • apologéticafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Swedish apologetik
  • apologetikfield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Tagalog apolohetika
  • apolohetikafield of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Ukrainian апологе́тика
  • апологе́тика (apolohétyka)field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position
Cite this entry
APA

apologetics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologetics

MLA

“apologetics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologetics. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apologetics,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologetics.

Source: apologetics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.