Adjacent Words

Apology definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

APOL'OGY, n. [Gr. discourse.]
An excuse; something said or written in defense or extenuation of what appears to others wrong, or unjustifiable; or of what may be liable to disapprobation. It may be an extenuation of what is not perfectly justifiable, or a vindication of what is or may be disapproved, but which the apologist deems to be right. A man makes an apology for not fulfilling an engagement, or for publishing a pamphlet. An apology then is a reason or reasons assigned for what is wrong or may appear to be wrong, and it may be either an extenuation or a justification of something that is or may be censured, by those who are not acquainted with the reasons.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone; "he wrote a letter of apology to the hostess"
2: a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly [syn: apology, apologia]
3: a poor example; "it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor excuse for an automobile" [syn: apology, excuse]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -gies) Etymology: Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French apologie, from Late Latin apologia, from Greek, from apo- + logos speech — more at legend Date: 1533 1. a. a formal justification ; defense b. excuse 2a 2. an admission of error or discourtesy accompanied by an expression of regret <a public apology> 3. a poor substitute ; makeshift Synonyms: apology, apologia, excuse, plea, pretext, alibi mean matter offered in explanation or defense. apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances <said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could>. apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position <his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy>. excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure <used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting>. plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy <her usual plea that she was nearsighted>. pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation <used any pretext to get out of work>. alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation <his alibi failed to stand scrutiny>.

Britannica Concise

In literature, an autobiographical form in which a defense is the framework for the author's discussion of his or her personal beliefs. Examples include Plato's Apology (4th cent. BC), in which Socrates answers his accusers by giving a history of his life and moral commitment, and J. H. Newman's Apologia pro Vita Sua (1864), an examination of the principles that inspired his conversion to Catholicism.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 a regretful acknowledgement of an offence or failure. 2 an assurance that no offence was intended. 3 an explanation or defence. 4 (foll. by for) a poor or scanty specimen of (this apology for a letter). Etymology: F apologie or LL apologia f. Gk (as APOLOGETIC)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Apology A*pol"o*gy, n.; pl. Apologies. [L. apologia, Gr. ?; ? from + ?: cf. F. apologie. See Apologetic.] 1. Something said or written in defense or justification of what appears to others wrong, or of what may be liable to disapprobation; justification; as, Tertullian's Apology for Christianity. It is not my intention to make an apology for my poem; some will think it needs no excuse, and others will receive none. --Dryden. 2. An acknowledgment intended as an atonement for some improper or injurious remark or act; an admission to another of a wrong or discourtesy done him, accompanied by an expression of regret. 3. Anything provided as a substitute; a makeshift. He goes to work devising apologies for window curtains. --Dickens. Syn: Excuse. Usage: An apology, in the original sense of the word, was a pleading off from some charge or imputation, by explaining and defending one's principles or conduct. It therefore amounted to a vindication. One who offers an apology, admits himself to have been, at least apparently, in the wrong, but brings forward some palliating circumstance, or tenders a frank acknowledgment, by way of reparation. We make an apology for some breach of propriety or decorum (like rude expressions, unbecoming conduct, etc.), or some deficiency in what might be reasonably expected. We offer an excuse when we have been guilty of some breach or neglect of duty; and we do it by way of extenuating our fault, and with a view to be forgiven. When an excuse has been accepted, an apology may still, in some cases, be necessary or appropriate. ``An excuse is not grounded on the claim of innocence, but is rather an appeal for favor resting on some collateral circumstance. An apology mostly respects the conduct of individuals toward each other as equals; it is a voluntary act produced by feelings of decorum, or a desire for the good opinion of others.'' --Crabb.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Apology A*pol"o*gy, v. i. To offer an apology. [Obs.] For which he can not well apology. --J. Webster.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(apologies) 1. An apology is something that you say or write in order to tell someone that you are sorry that you have hurt them or caused trouble for them. We received a letter of apology... He made a public apology for the team's performance. N-VAR 2. If you offer or make your apologies, you apologize. (FORMAL) When Mary finally appeared, she made her apologies to Mrs Madrigal. N-PLURAL: usu poss N 3. If you say that you make no apologies for what you have done, you are emphasizing that you feel that you have done nothing wrong. Union officials made no apologies for the threatened chaos. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Defence, vindication, justification. 2. Excuse, plea, explanation, extenuation, acknowledgment, reparation, amende honorable. 3. Makeshift, mere excuse, poor excuse, temporary substitute.

Moby Thesaurus

abject apology, acknowledgment, admission, advocating, advocation, alibi, amends, apologetic, apologetics, apologia, apologies, argument, argumentation, atonement, attrition, ayenbite of inwit, bicker, bickering, bitterness, blind, breast-beating, casuistry, championing, change of heart, cloak, color, concession, confession, contention, contriteness, contrition, controversy, cover, cover story, cover-up, deathbed repentance, defense, device, disputation, dispute, espousal, excuse, extenuation, facade, feint, flyting, front, gloss, grief, guise, handle, hassle, heartfelt apology, hubbub, justification, lame excuse, litigation, locus standi, logomachy, mask, mea culpa, ostensible motive, palliation, paper war, passage of arms, penance, penitence, polemic, polemics, poor excuse, pretense, pretension, pretext, protestation, public motive, put-off, redress, reformation, refuge, regret, regretfulness, regrets, regretting, remorse, remorse of conscience, remorsefulness, reparation, repentance, repining, rhubarb, saeta, satisfaction, screen, semblance, set-to, sham, shame, shamefacedness, shamefastness, shamefulness, show, smoke screen, sorriness, sorrow, stalking-horse, stratagem, subterfuge, support, trick, varnish, veil, verbal engagement, war of words, wearing a hairshirt, wistfulness, wrangling