Dictionary
a•pol•o•gy
Pronunciation: (u-pol'u-jē), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -gies.
1. a written or spoken expression of one's regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, failed, injured, or wronged another:
He demanded an apology from me for calling him a crook.
2. a defense, excuse, or justification in speech or writing, as for a cause or doctrine.
3. (
cap., italics) a dialogue by Plato, centering on Socrates' defense before the tribunal that condemned him to death.
4. an inferior specimen or substitute; makeshift:
The tramp wore a sad apology for a hat. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.