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adj. 1. Offering or expressing an apology or excuse: an apologetic note; an apologetic smile. 2. Self-deprecating; humble: an apologetic manner. 3. Serving as or containing a formal justification or defense: an apologetic treatise on church doctrine. n. A formal defense or apology. [Middle English, formal defense, from Latin apologēticus, from Greek apologētikos, suitable for defense, from apologeisthai, to defend oneself verbally, from apologos, apology, story; see APOLOGUE.] a·pol′o·geti·cal·ly adv. |
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