Feeling sorry? You might want to apologize or apologise. Both words are the same, we just use “apologize” in North America and “apologise” everywhere else.
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Alanna Madden
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June 26, 2021
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Grammar Tips
Feeling sorry? You might want to apologize or apologise. Both words are the same, we just use “apologize” in North America and “apologise” everywhere else.
English “apologize” and “apologise” are different spellings of the same word (depending on where you live, that is). Writers in the United States and Canada use “apologize” with the letter z, while writers outside of North America are more likely to use “apologise” with the letter s.
If you’ve been following The Word Counter for a while, the topic of American English vs. British English is nothing new to you. There are literally hundreds of English spelling variations worldwide, and the correctness of one particular word tends to depend on geography, culture, and formality.
We’ve even covered similar topics in lessons like “my apologies vs. my apology,” where we learned “my apologies” is correct for making an apology in the present tense, while “my apology” cites an apology from the past. Clearly, this term is the source of lots of unnecessary confusion, so let’s try to put an end to the confusion once and for all.
As we now know, the words apologize and apologise are the same word and, thus, share the same meaning. If we confer with the New Oxford American Dictionary and Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, we’ll find that apologize is a verb we use intransitively to ‘express regret for something that one has done wrong or said’ (“Apologize” 73).
In other words, American apologize and British apologise are actionable versions of the noun apology: a “regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure.”
Sentence examples:
Collins English Dictionary also defines apologize as meaning “to make an apology,” although the dictionary also states how the verb means “to make a formal defense in speech or writing.” In this case, the word apologize is directly related to nouns like apologia, apologetics, and apologist, which all involve the concept of a formal statement that provides an argument or justification for a behavior, theory, or belief (see FAQ for definitions).
Ask/beg forgiveness, ask/bed for pardon, atone, confess, excuse, explain away, express regret, gloss over, justify, minimalize, palliate, rationalize, say sorry, soft-pedal, sugarcoat, varnish, whitewash.
The word apologize derives from Greek apologizesthai (via apologos) to mean ‘give an account,’ although English adopted the verb in the 16th century to mean ‘make a defensive argument’ (73).
“Apologize” and “apologise” each derive from the word apology; their only difference is that one word ends with -ize and the other with -ise. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, English traditionally leans on Greek verb-forming elements, making -ize the standard suffix for verbs. However, varieties of English spellings became more common during Old French and Middle English when authorities of the French language standardized -s- spellings, influencing English speakers to do the same.
According to Lexico, the word apologetic is an adjective that describes someone as “expressing or showing regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure” or “constituting a formal defense or justification of a theory or doctrine.”
For example,
Plural apologetics is a noun that references “reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something,” which often involves a “theory or religious doctrine.” For example,
As shown above, “apologetics” is a plural noun that references a series of reasonable justifications for something (usually for a theory or religious doctrine). Singular apologia is very similar, except it’s a “formal written defense of one’s opinions or conduct.” For example,
In contrast, the noun apologist references a person who defends something an “unpopular” controversial belief. For example,
For more lessons on the preferred spelling for American, British, or Canadian English, check out the following topics on The Word Counter:
Test how well you understand the difference between apologize and apologise with the following multiple-choice questions.
1. Apologize/apologise is a direct derivative of apology.
a. True
b. False
2. To apologize is to ______________.
a. Express regret
b. Express sympathy
c. Express remorse
d. A and C
3. The word ___________ is an American English variant.
a. Apologist
b. Apologise
c. Apologies
d. Apologize
4. The verb ___________ is a British variant.
a. Apologize
b. Apologist
c. Apologetics
d. None of the above
5. Which of the following is a synonym for apologize or apologise?
a. Vindication
b. Apostle
c. Atone
d. Wrongdoing
Choose the correct word for the following sentences:
6. “The editors of HarperCollins Publishers expect a full ___________ from the defendant for their blatant copyright infringements.”
a. Apologise
b. Apologies
c. Apology
d. Apologize
7. “The lead singer of the rock band plans to ___________ for trashing the original walkman, a Japanese Sony music unit released in 1979.”
a. Apologise
b. Apologetic
c. Apologize
d. A or C
8. “The judge listened to the apologies of the guilty parties but felt they didn’t sound very ___________.”
a. Apologies
b. Apologetic
c. Apologia
d. B and C
Answers