Apology

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Apology \A*pol"o*gy\, n.; pl. {Apologies}. [L. apologia, Gr. ?;
     ? from + ?: cf. F. apologie. See {Apologetic}.]
     1. Something said or written in defense or justification of
        what appears to others wrong, or of what may be liable to
        disapprobation; justification; as, Tertullian's Apology
        for Christianity.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              It is not my intention to make an apology for my
              poem; some will think it needs no excuse, and others
              will receive none.                    --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. An acknowledgment intended as an atonement for some
        improper or injurious remark or act; an admission to
        another of a wrong or discourtesy done him, accompanied by
        an expression of regret.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Anything provided as a substitute; a makeshift.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He goes to work devising apologies for window
              curtains.                             --Dickens.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: {Excuse}.
  
     Usage: An apology, in the original sense of the word, was a
            pleading off from some charge or imputation, by
            explaining and defending one's principles or conduct.
            It therefore amounted to a vindication. One who offers
            an apology, admits himself to have been, at least
            apparently, in the wrong, but brings forward some
            palliating circumstance, or tenders a frank
            acknowledgment, by way of reparation. We make an
            apology for some breach of propriety or decorum (like
            rude expressions, unbecoming conduct, etc.), or some
            deficiency in what might be reasonably expected. We
            offer an excuse when we have been guilty of some
            breach or neglect of duty; and we do it by way of
            extenuating our fault, and with a view to be forgiven.
            When an excuse has been accepted, an apology may
            still, in some cases, be necessary or appropriate. "An
            excuse is not grounded on the claim of innocence, but
            is rather an appeal for favor resting on some
            collateral circumstance. An apology mostly respects
            the conduct of individuals toward each other as
            equals; it is a voluntary act produced by feelings of
            decorum, or a desire for the good opinion of others."
            --Crabb.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Apology \A*pol"o*gy\, v. i.
     To offer an apology. [Obs.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
           For which he can not well apology.       --J. Webster.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  apology
       n 1: an expression of regret at having caused trouble for
            someone; "he wrote a letter of apology to the hostess"
       2: a formal written defense of something you believe in
          strongly [syn: {apologia}]
       3: a poor example; "it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor
          excuse for an automobile" [syn: {excuse}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  116 Moby Thesaurus words for "apology":
     abject apology, acknowledgment, admission, advocating, advocation,
     alibi, amends, apologetic, apologetics, apologia, apologies,
     argument, argumentation, atonement, attrition, ayenbite of inwit,
     bicker, bickering, bitterness, blind, breast-beating, casuistry,
     championing, change of heart, cloak, color, concession, confession,
     contention, contriteness, contrition, controversy, cover,
     cover story, cover-up, deathbed repentance, defense, device,
     disputation, dispute, espousal, excuse, extenuation, facade, feint,
     flyting, front, gloss, grief, guise, handle, hassle,
     heartfelt apology, hubbub, justification, lame excuse, litigation,
     locus standi, logomachy, mask, mea culpa, ostensible motive,
     palliation, paper war, passage of arms, penance, penitence,
     polemic, polemics, poor excuse, pretense, pretension, pretext,
     protestation, public motive, put-off, redress, reformation, refuge,
     regret, regretfulness, regrets, regretting, remorse,
     remorse of conscience, remorsefulness, reparation, repentance,
     repining, rhubarb, saeta, satisfaction, screen, semblance, set-to,
     sham, shame, shamefacedness, shamefastness, shamefulness, show,
     smoke screen, sorriness, sorrow, stalking-horse, stratagem,
     subterfuge, support, trick, varnish, veil, verbal engagement,
     war of words, wearing a hairshirt, wistfulness, wrangling