Meanings
nounapologist (plural apologists)
plural apologists
- One who makes an apology.
- broadlyusuallyOne who speaks or writes in defense of a faith, a cause, or an institution.
A genocide denier is an apologist for the next genocide. […] Mr. Handke is the Bob Dylan of genocide apologists.
2019 October 15, Aleksandar Hemon, “‘The Bob Dylan of Genocide Apologists’”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 05 Apr 20201 more example
[…] he will appear to many of the more speculatively minded intellectuals merely as a timid apologist of things as they are; at the same time he will be dismissed by the men of affairs as an impractical theorist.
1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 430
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of apologizer.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who argues to defend or justify some policy or institution
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
- Proto-Hellenic*apó
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓πό (ăpó)
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓πο- (ăpo-)
- Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*lóǵos
- Proto-Hellenic*lógos
- Ancient Greekλόγος (lógos)
- Ancient Greekἀπολογία (apología)
- Ecclesiastical Latinapologia
- Frenchapologie
- Englishapology
- Englishapologist
Translations
Bulgarian апологе́т, апологе́тка
- апологе́т (apologét)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- апологе́тка (apologétka)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Catalan apologista, apologeta
- apologistaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetaone who makes an apology
- apologistaone who makes an apology
Chinese Mandarin 辯護士 /辩护士
- 辯護士 /辩护士 (biànhùshì)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Czech apologeta, apologetka
- apologetaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetkaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Danish forsvarer, apologet
- forsvarerone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- skønmalerone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- undskylderone who makes an apology
Dutch apologeet
- apologeetone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Estonian apologeet
- apologeetone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Finnish apologeetta
- apologeettaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
French apologiste
- apologisteone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
German Apologet, Apologetin
- Apologetone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- Apologetinone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Hungarian apologéta
- apologétaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Indonesian apologet
- apologetone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Italian apologista, apologeta
- apologistaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Polish apologeta, apologetka
- apologetaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetkaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetykone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Portuguese apologista
- apologistaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Romanian apologet, apologetă
- apologetone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetăone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Russian апологе́т, апологе́тка
- апологе́т (apologét)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- апологе́тка (apologétka)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- защи́тник (zaščítnik)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- защи́тница (zaščítnica)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- побо́рник (pobórnik)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- побо́рница (pobórnica)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Slovak apologéta, apologétka
- apologétaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologétkaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Spanish apologista, apologeta
- apologistaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- apologetaone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Swedish apologet
- apologetone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Turkish apolojist
- apolojistone who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Ukrainian апологе́т, апологе́тка
- апологе́т (apolohét)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- апологе́тка (apolohétka)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- захисни́к (zaxysnýk)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- захисни́ця (zaxysnýcja)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- побо́рник (pobórnyk)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
- побо́рниця (pobórnycja)one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith
Cite this entry
APA
apologist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologist
MLA
“apologist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologist. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apologist,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologist.
Source: apologist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.