Apology
n.kind, thoughtfulwarm
What it means
A sincere expression of regret for causing harm or offense.
Reach for it when naming accountable words that acknowledge a specific wrong
His direct apology opened the way to renewed trust.
Choose between these
6- playful
mea culpa
a concise admission of personal fault suits an informed informal audience
not when The Latin phrase can sound glib and may trivialize serious harm.
- everyday
regret
sorrow about an outcome is all that can honestly be stated
not when Regret can remain private and does not acknowledge harm to another person.
- warm
actions repair the harm after words have been offered
not when Amends go beyond an apology and cannot be substituted for one sincere statement.
- professional
the first need is to name what happened
not when Acknowledgment may name the facts without carrying any regret.
- formal
confession
hidden wrongdoing is being admitted
not when Confession reveals responsibility but can be self-serving and is not necessarily an apology.
- formal
contrition
deep remorse is the inner response
not when Contrition is an inward feeling; the harmed person may never receive an apology.
Said against
3- justification
- denial
- defiance
It naturally appears in
3- sincere apology
A sincere apology named the damaged trust without asking for quick forgiveness.
- offer an apology
The director will offer an apology before explaining the repair plan.
- public apology
Her public apology corrected the false claim in the same forum.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English noun sense: an expression of regret for a fault or offense opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.