apologize
/əˈpɒləd͡ʒaɪz/ · ap·o·lo·gize
verb
- To make an apology or excuse; to acknowledge some fault or offense, often followed by “for”. She apologized for arriving late to the meeting.
- To express regret that a certain event has occurred. He apologized that the concert had to be cancelled.
- To make an apologia or defense; to act as an apologist. The scholar apologized the controversial theory in his lecture.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Did you know? The original Greek meaning of ‘apologia’ was a formal defense, so ‘apologize’ once meant ‘to defend oneself’ before it shifted to expressing regret.