Meaning & use

apologize

verb·Everyday

To say that one is sorry for having done something wrong or for causing a problem.

See it in a sentence

He apologized sincerely for arriving late to the meeting without warning anyone.

The company apologized publicly after the product defect harmed several customers.

A note on using this word

British English typically spells this "apologise," while American English uses "apologize."

Words with a similar meaning

say sorryexpress regret

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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