apologetic

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: a=pol=o=get=ic

CIDE DICTIONARY

apologetic, a. [Gr. , fr. to speak in defense of; from + speech, to say, to speak. See Logic.].

 Defending by words or arguments; said or written in defense, or by way of apology; regretfully excusing; as, an apologetic essay.  Macaulay.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

apologetic, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 regretfully acknowledging or excusing an offence or failure.
2 diffident.
3 of reasoned defence or vindication.
--n. (usu. in pl.) a reasoned defence, esp. of Christianity.

Derivative

apologetically adv.

Etymology

F apolog{eacute}tique f. LL apologeticus f. Gk apologetikos f. apologeomai speak in defence

THESAURUS

apologetic

abject, apologia, ascetic, atoning, cleansing, compensational, compensatory, compunctious, conscience-stricken, contrite, defense, excusatory, excusing, expiatory, extenuating, extenuative, humble, humbled, justification, justificatory, justifying, lustral, lustrational, lustrative, melted, palliative, penitent, penitential, penitentiary, piacular, propitiatory, purgative, purgatorial, purifying, reclamatory, recompensing, redeeming, redemptive, redressing, refuting, regretful, rehabilitative, remorseful, reparative, reparatory, repentant, repenting, restitutional, restitutive, restitutory, righting, rueful, satisfactional, sheepish, softened, sorry, squaring, touched, vindicative, vindicatory

ROGET THESAURUS

apologetic

Pretext

N pretext, pretense, pretension, plea, allegation, advocation, ostensible motive, ostensible ground, ostensible reason, phony reason, excuse, subterfuge, color, gloss, guise, cover, loop hole, starting hole, how to creep out of, salvo, come off, way of escape, handle, peg to hang on, room locus standi, stalking-horse, cheval de bataille, cue, pretense, put off, dust thrown in the eyes, blind, moonshine, mere pretext, shallow pretext, lame excuse, lame apology, tub to a whale, false plea, sour grapes, makeshift, shift, white lie, special pleading, soft sawder, ostensibly, alleged, apologetic, pretended, ostensibly, under color, under the plea, under the pretense of, under the guise of.

Vindication

N vindication, justification, warrant, exoneration, exculpation, acquittal, whitewashing, extenuation, palliation, palliative, softening, mitigation, reply, defense, recrimination, apology, gloss, varnish, plea, salvo, excuse, extenuating circumstances, allowance, allowance to be made, locus paenitentiae, apologist, vindicator, justifier, defendant, justifiable charge, true bill, v, justify, warrant, be an excuse for, lend a color, furnish a handle, vindicate, exculpate, disculpate, acquit, clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash, clear the skirts of, extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze, put a gloss, put a good face upon, mince, gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile, advocate, defend, plead one's cause, stand up for, stick up for, speak up for, contend for, speak for, bear out, keep in countenance, support, plead, say in defense, plead ignorance, confess and avoid, propugn, put in a good word for, take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to, give one his due, give the Devil his due, make good, prove the truth of, prove one's case, be justified by the event, vindicated, vindicating, exculpatory, apologetic, excusable, defensible, pardonable, venial, veniable, specious, plausible, justifiable, honi sot qui mal y pense, good wine needs no bush.