Apology1. (n.) 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.
2. (n.) 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.
3. (n.) Anything provided as a substitute; a makeshift.
4. (v. i.) To offer an apology.
Thesaurus Entries
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