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apologetic

American  
[uh-pol-uh-jet-ik] / əˌpɒl əˈdʒɛt ɪk /
Rarely apologetical

adjective

  1. containing an apology or excuse for a fault, failure, insult, injury, etc..

    An apologetic letter to his creditors explained the delay.

  2. defending by speech or writing.

  3. willing or eager to apologize.

  4. sorry; regretful.

apologetic British  
/ əˌpɒləˈdʒɛtɪk /

adjective

  1. expressing or anxious to make apology; contrite

  2. protecting or defending in speech or writing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • apologetically adverb
  • nonapologetic adjective
  • nonapologetical adjective
  • nonapologetically adverb
  • pseudoapologetic adjective
  • pseudoapologetically adverb
  • quasi-apologetic adjective
  • quasi-apologetically adverb
  • unapologetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of apologetic

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English apologetik “a formal defense,” from Middle French or directly from Late Latin apologēticus “written defense, defensive,” Greek apologētikós “fit for defense,” equivalent to apologē- (variant stem of apologeîsthai “to speak in defense”; apologia ) + -tikos -tic

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.