What does apologised mean?
'Apologised' is the British English past tense of the verb 'apologise', meaning to express regret or say sorry for a fault, mistake, or offence. It is one of the most socially significant verbs in English, marking the moment when someone acknowledges responsibility and seeks to repair a relationship, whether between friends, colleagues, or institutions. In practice it appears constantly in both personal and public life: individuals apologise for lateness or rudeness, while companies and governments issue formal apologies for failures and scandals. The verb takes a direct object introduced by 'to' (the person wronged) and 'for' (the thing done), as in 'she apologised to her team for the confusion'. Its tone depends heavily on modifiers — one may apologise sincerely, profusely, publicly, or only half-heartedly. The word derives from the Greek 'apologia', originally meaning a defence rather than an admission of guilt. American English spells it 'apologized'.
verbPast tense and past participle of 'apologise': to express regret for a mistake, fault, or wrongdoing, especially in the form of a formal statement of sorrow.
- To express regret or say sorry for a fault, offence, or failure.
"She apologised profusely for arriving an hour late to the meeting."
"He apologised to his neighbour for the noise from the party."
"The airline formally apologised after cancelling dozens of flights over the weekend."
The word traces back to Greek 'apologia' — which originally meant not a grovelling sorry, but a full-blown legal defence speech, as in Plato's 'Apology of Socrates', where Socrates never once said sorry.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apologised
'Apologised' comes from 'apologise', which entered English in the late sixteenth century from Latin 'apologiari' or directly from Greek 'apologeisthai', meaning 'to speak in defence'. The Greek root combines 'apo-' ('from, off') with 'logos' ('speech, word'). Notably, the original sense was defensive rather than penitent: an 'apologia' in classical Greece was a formal legal defence, as in Plato's account of Socrates's trial. The modern sense of expressing regret developed later, becoming fully established by the seventeenth century. Cognates include 'apology', 'apologetic', and 'apologist', all sharing the same root.
Related word forms
How apologised is actually used
'Apologised' is the standard spelling in British English and other Commonwealth varieties; American English uses 'apologized'. The word carries a neutral-to-formal register and can range from sincere contrition to grudging or perfunctory acknowledgement depending on modifiers such as 'profusely' or 'half-heartedly'.
Easily confused with apologised
'Apologised' is the British English spelling while 'apologized' with a z is standard American English; they mean exactly the same thing.