apologize

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To say that you are sorry for something you have done.

   He apologized for being late to the meeting.

2. 2
   verb

   To defend or argue in support of a belief or position.

   The writer apologized for his views in a long essay.

From apology + -ize, from ἀπολογία (apología, “a speech in defense”), from ἀπολογέομαι (apologéomai, “to speak in one’s defense”), from ἀπόλογος (apólogos, “an account, story”), compound of ἀπο- (apo-, “from, off”) and λόγος (lógos, “speech”); compare also ἀπολογίζομαι (apologízomai, “to render an account”).

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