apologise
UK: əˈpɒlədʒaɪz | US: əˈpɑːlədʒaɪz
vi. to express regret for a mistake or offense
vi. to make a formal defense or justification (archaic)
apologise = apo<away/off> + log<speech> + ise<verb suffix>
- apo (Greek origin, meaning "away" or "off")
- log (Greek logos, meaning "speech" or "reason")
- ise (verb-forming suffix, variant of -ize)
Etymology Origin:
The word apologise traces back to Greek apologia (ἀπολογία), meaning "a speech in defense." Originally, it referred to a formal justification (e.g., Plato's Apology of Socrates). Over time, the meaning shifted to focus on expressing regret, influenced by the idea of "speaking away" one's fault. The -ise suffix reflects British English spelling, derived via French -iser.
She called to apologise for being late.
The minister apologised publicly for the oversight.
In his essay, he apologised for his earlier controversial remarks.
You don’t need to apologise—it wasn’t your fault.
The company apologised and offered refunds to affected customers.