Meaning & use
apologist
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Meanings
nouncountableformal
A person who speaks or writes in strong defense of a belief, policy or group, especially one that others attack.
Grammar: Often followed by for: an apologist for the regime.
Patterns
- an apologist for something
He became an apologist for the company, defending every decision it made.
Critics called her an apologist for the government's failures.
The professor was a leading apologist for free trade.
nouncountablereligion
A writer who defends the Christian faith with reasoned argument.
Grammar: A traditional religious use, often applied to early church writers.
Patterns
- a Christian apologist
Justin Martyr was an early Christian apologist.
The book is a work by a modern apologist who answers common objections to religion.
Word forms
| plural | apologists |
|---|
Common combinations
- apologist for
- He is seen as an apologist for the old system.
- Christian apologist
- The Christian apologist gave a talk on faith and reason.
- loyal apologist
- A loyal apologist, she defended the leader in every interview.
- political apologist
- Political apologists rushed to explain away the scandal.
- act as an apologist
- The columnist was accused of acting as an apologist for the regime.
Synonyms and how they differ
- defender
- Defender is neutral and plain, while apologist often hints that the case defended is hard to support.
- advocate
- Advocate is usually positive and means someone who actively promotes a cause, whereas apologist implies making excuses.
- champion
- Champion is warm and admiring, while apologist can be critical.
- mouthpiece
- Mouthpiece suggests merely repeating someone else's views, while an apologist argues in their defense.
Opposites
Word family
- apologetic adjective
- showing regret, or defending a belief
- apologetics noun
- the reasoned defense of a belief, especially religious
- apology noun
- an expression of regret, or in older use a formal defense
- apologize verb
- to say you are sorry
Commonly confused: apologist or apologetic?
apologist vs apologetic
Apologetic usually means sorry or regretful, so an apologetic person says sorry, while an apologist defends a cause.
Practice
What does it mean to call someone an apologist for a policy?
Choose one answer.
An apologist defends a position, often a controversial one. It does not mean someone who says sorry, even though the words look alike.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “apologist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.