Apologetical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Showing or feeling regret for an offense or fault committed
2. Conveying a sense of sorrow or remorse for a mistake or wrongdoing
3. Communicating an acknowledgement of error or asking for pardon in a humble way

Etymology: Apologetical is apologetic plus the suffix "-al", which English attached to many adjectives from Latin and Greek stems, so the second half needs little explanation. The base word is the real story. "Apologetic" comes via Late Latin "apologeticus" from Greek "apologētikos", meaning "defensive" or "pertaining to a defence speech", from "apologeisthai", "to speak in defence", built from "apo-" ("away") and "logos" ("speech"). In the ancient sense, an apology was a formal defence, not an expression of regret, and the shift toward saying sorry happened gradually in English. Apologetic itself entered English in the 1600s, and the adjective "apologetical" appeared a little later as a doublet with the same sense. It remains rare and is mostly found in older or more formal writing, where it means much the same as "apologetic": showing regret for a fault. The word therefore carries the original Greek sense of speaking in defence within it, even though the usual meaning has moved to contrition.

Synonyms: defensive, justificatory