apologize

• apologise (non-Oxford British English)

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”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈpɒləd͡ʒaɪz/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈpɑləd͡ʒaɪz/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

apologize (third-person singular simple present apologizes, present participle apologizing, simple past and past participle apologized) (American spelling, Oxford British English)

1. (intransitive, often followed by “for”) To make an apology or excuse; to acknowledge some fault or offense, with expression of regret for it, by way of amends

   My correspondent apologized for not answering my letter.

   • 1856, James Anthony Froude, History of England from the fall of Wolsey to the death of Elizabeth:

     Barnes was commanded, with Garrett and Jerome, to make a public acknowledgment of his errors; and to apologize especially for his insolent language to Gardiner

   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     Today I want to apologize to my co-workers.

2. (intransitive) To express regret that a certain event has occurred.
3. (intransitive, dated) To make an apologia or defense; to act as apologist.
   • 1660, H[enry] More, An Explanation of the Grand Mystery of Godliness; […], London: […] J[ames] Flesher, for W[illiam] Morden […], →OCLC:

     To this purpose the most witty, cautious and subtile ſort of the Pagans apologize for themselves

• “apologize”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

apologize

1. inflection of apologizar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative