Apologizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To express sorrow for a mistake or wrongdoing and request forgiveness
2. Conveys sorrow or regret for having caused offense or harm
3. Makes a statement of remorse to acknowledge a fault or error

Etymology: "Apologizes" is simply the third-person singular present form of "apologize," so the story belongs to the verb. "Apologize" is formed from "apology" plus the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning to act in a certain way or to make something so. The "-ize" ending came into English through Latin and Greek, and it is the same suffix found in words like "criticize" and "modernize." The noun "apology" reaches back to ancient Greek, where "apología" meant a speech in defense, the kind a person gave in court to answer an accusation. That sense is built from "apo-," meaning "from" or "off," and "logos," meaning "speech" or "word." The Greek verb "apologeomai" was the act of speaking in one's own defense, which is a useful reminder that the earliest idea of an apology was argument rather than contrition.

Synonyms: apologizes, expresses regret

Antonyms: accuses