Use apologize with for before the thing done wrong and to before the person affected.
Use apologize with for before the thing done wrong and to before the person affected.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| He apologized the mistake. | He apologized for the mistake. |
| She apologized me after the argument. | She apologized to me after the argument. |
| I apologize for late. | I apologize for being late. |
Use apologize in this sense only for a formal defense, not for an ordinary explanation or casual excuse.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The essay apologizes to the doctrine. | The essay apologizes for the doctrine. |
| The paper apologizes the policy. | The paper apologizes for the policy. |
| The lawyer apologized the accused in court. | The lawyer defended the accused in court. |
Use apologize for an action or problem, apologize to a person, and reserve the defense sense for formal or historical contexts.
Apologize for is replaced by a direct object, as in apologize the delay instead of apologize for the delay.
Formed in the 1590s from apology + -ize. The older sense was to speak in defense, while the regret sense is recorded from the early eighteenth century.
What does apologize mean?
Apologize usually means to say sorry for harm, trouble, or a mistake.
Is apologize a verb?
Yes. Apologize is a verb, and the related noun is apology.
Do you apologize for something or apologize to someone?
Use apologize for the action or problem and apologize to the person affected.
What is the past tense of apologize?
The regular past tense is apologized.
What is the British spelling of apologize?
The common British spelling is apologise, with s.
Can apologize mean defend?
Yes, but that formal sense is rare and usually belongs to writing about a defense or justification.
What is a synonym of apologize?
In the common sense, say sorry and express regret are close synonyms.
How is apologize pronounced?
Apologize is pronounced /əˈpɑːlədʒaɪz/.
Where does apologize come from?
Apologize was formed from apology and -ize, with an older sense of speaking in defense.