Meanings
plural apologies · alternative apologie
- An expression of remorse or regret for having said or done something that harmed another: an instance of apologizing (saying that one is sorry).
The CEO made a public apology for the scandal, and promised full cooperation with the authorities.
1 more example
What he said really hurt my feelings, but his apology sounded so sincere that I couldn't help but forgive him.
- Anything provided as a substitute; a makeshift.
a poor apology for a hotel room
2 more examples
[He] goes to work devising apologies for window curtains.
1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, chapter 20, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLCThe response to firing is remarkable, and though the 280 lb. pressure seems more in the nature of a reserve for emergencies than a continuous working figure, even with the present-day apology for coal it seldom fell below 250 lb., and could always be brought up to blowing-off point with little difficulty. To this liveliness of steaming the thermic syphons are doubtless the chief contributory.
1947 January and February, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 39
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA formal justification, defence.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna formal written defense of something you believe in strongly
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
From French apologie, from Late Latin apologia, from Ancient Greek ἀπολογία (apología, “a speech in defence”), from ἀπολογοῦμαι (apologoûmai, “I speak in my defense”), from ἀπόλογος (apólogos, “an account, story”), from ἀπό (apó, “from, off”) (see apo-) + λόγος (lógos, “speech”). Doublet of apologia. By surface analysis, apo- + -logy.
More words from French, Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic اِعْتِذَار, عُذْر
- اِعْتِذَار (iʕtiḏār)an expression of regret
- عُذْر (ʕuḏr)an expression of regret
- دِفَاع (difāʕ)formal justification, defence
- تَبْرِير (tabrīr)formal justification, defence
Bengali ক্ষমা, মাফ
- ক্ষমা (khoma)an expression of regret
- মাফ (maph)an expression of regret
Bulgarian извине́ние, оправда́ние
- извине́ние (izvinénie)an expression of regret
- оправда́ние (opravdánie)formal justification, defence
Catalan disculpa, apologia
- disculpaan expression of regret
- apologiaformal justification, defence
Chinese Cantonese 抱歉, 道歉
- 抱歉 (pou⁵ hip³)an expression of regret
- 道歉 (dou⁶ hip³)an expression of regret
Chinese Mandarin 道歉, 致歉
- 道歉 (dàoqiàn)an expression of regret
- 致歉 (zhìqiàn)an expression of regret
- 辯護詞 /辩护词formal justification, defence
- 申辯 /申辩 (shēnbiàn)formal justification, defence
- 辯解 /辩解 (biànjiě)formal justification, defence
Czech omluva
- omluvaan expression of regret
Danish undskyldning, forsvar
- undskyldningan expression of regret
- forsvarformal justification, defence
Dutch verontschuldiging, verweer
- verontschuldigingan expression of regret
- verweerformal justification, defence
- apologieformal justification, defence
Esperanto pardonpeto
- pardonpetoan expression of regret
Estonian vabandus
- vabandusan expression of regret
Finnish anteeksipyyntö, pahoittelu
- anteeksipyyntöan expression of regret
- pahoitteluan expression of regret
- puolustusformal justification, defence
- puolustuskirjoitusformal justification, defence
French excuse, apologie
- excusean expression of regret
- apologieformal justification, defence
German Entschuldigung, Apologie
- Entschuldigungan expression of regret
- Apologieformal justification, defence
Greek συγγνώμη, απολογία
- συγγνώμη (syngnómi)an expression of regret
- απολογία (apología)formal justification, defence
Hebrew הִתְנַצְּלוּת, הִצְטַדְּקוּת
- הִתְנַצְּלוּת (hitnatslút)an expression of regret
- הִצְטַדְּקוּת (hitstadkút)formal justification, defence
- הִתְנַצְּלוּת (hitnatslút)formal justification, defence
Hindi क्षमा, क्षमायाचना
- क्षमा (kṣamā)an expression of regret
- क्षमायाचना (kṣamāyācnā)an expression of regret
- दोर्षस्वीकार (dorṣasvīkār)an expression of regret
- माफ़ी (māfī)an expression of regret
Hungarian bocsánatkérés, védőbeszéd
- bocsánatkérésan expression of regret
- védőbeszédformal justification, defence
Icelandic afsökun, afsökunarbeiðni
- afsökunan expression of regret
- afsökunarbeiðnian expression of regret
Indonesian apologi, pembelaan
- apologiformal justification, defence
- pembelaanformal justification, defence
Irish leithscéal, apalacht
- leithscéalan expression of regret
- apalachtformal justification, defence
Italian apologia, scuse
- apologiaan expression of regret
- scusean expression of regret
- apologiaformal justification, defence
Japanese 詫び, 侘び
- 詫び (wabi)an expression of regret
- 侘び (wabi)an expression of regret
- 謝罪 (shazai)an expression of regret
- 申し訳 (mōshiwake)an expression of regret
- 弁明 (benmei)formal justification, defence
Korean 사과, 사죄
- 사과 (sagwa)an expression of regret
- 사죄 (sajoe)an expression of regret
- 변명 (byeonmyeong)formal justification, defence
Latvian atvainošanās
- atvainošanāsan expression of regret
Lithuanian atsiprašymas
- atsiprašymasan expression of regret
Low German Entschülligunge
- Entschülligungean expression of regret
Malay permintaan maaf
- permintaan maafan expression of regret
Māori whakapāha
- whakapāhaan expression of regret
Norwegian Bokmål unnskyldning
- unnskyldningan expression of regret
Polish przeprosiny, przeproszenie
- przeprosinyan expression of regret
- przeproszeniean expression of regret
- apologiaformal justification, defence
- apologetykaformal justification, defence
Portuguese desculpa, apologia
- desculpaan expression of regret
- apologiaformal justification, defence
Romanian scuză
- scuzăan expression of regret
Russian извине́ние, проще́ние
- извине́ние (izvinénije)an expression of regret
- проще́ние (proščénije)an expression of regret
- оправда́ние (opravdánije)formal justification, defence
- извине́ние (izvinénije)formal justification, defence
Scottish Gaelic leisgeul
- leisgeulan expression of regret
Slovak ospravedlnenie
- ospravedlneniean expression of regret
Spanish disculpa, disculpa
- disculpaan expression of regret
- disculpaformal justification, defence
- apologíaformal justification, defence
Swedish ursäkt, apologi
- ursäktan expression of regret
- apologiformal justification, defence
- försvarstalformal justification, defence
- försvarsskriftformal justification, defence
Tagalog patawad, paumanhin
- patawadan expression of regret
- paumanhinan expression of regret
Thai คำขอโทษ
- คำขอโทษ (kam-kɔ̌ɔ-tôot)an expression of regret
Turkish itizar, özür
- itizaran expression of regret
- özüran expression of regret
- mazeretan expression of regret
- savuncaformal justification, defence
- müdafaaformal justification, defence
Ukrainian ви́бачення, проба́чення
- ви́бачення (výbačennja)an expression of regret
- проба́чення (probáčennja)an expression of regret
- перепро́шення (perepróšennja)an expression of regret
- ви́правдання (výpravdannja)formal justification, defence
- оправда́ння (opravdánnja)formal justification, defence
Urdu مُعافی, پوزِش
- مُعافی (mu'āfī)an expression of regret
- پوزِش (poziś)an expression of regret
- مَعْذَرَت (ma'zarat)an expression of regret
- عُذْر ('uzr)an expression of regret
- اِعْتِذار (i'tizār)an expression of regret
Vietnamese sự xin lỗi
- sự xin lỗian expression of regret
Yiddish אַנטשולדיקונג
- אַנטשולדיקונג (antshuldikung)an expression of regret
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with apology
Cite this entry
apology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apology
“apology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apology. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apology,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apology.
Source: apology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.