Apologize: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in formal or serious situations to express regret for a mistake or when acknowledging wrongdoing.

• I apologize for the delay in responding to your email
• He felt he should apologize to his colleague for the misunderstanding

Used in casual, everyday situations to simply tell someone that you are sorry for something minor.

• I'm so sorry for stepping on your foot
• She needs to say sorry to her friend for being late

Used when you want to take steps to correct a mistake or wrongdoing, often involving actions to show that you are sorry.

• He tried to make amends by offering to pay for the damage
• She wants to make amends for her past mistakes by volunteering

Used when you want to formally or informally state that you feel sorry about something that has happened or was done.

• The company expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the outage
• She expressed regret over the decision to cancel the trip

Formal or sincere acknowledgment of a mistake or wrong action. Used in situations where the speaker genuinely regrets their actions.

• I apologize for the inconvenience I caused
• She should apologize for her mistakes