defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
"rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"
"he rationalized his lack of success"
To make an apology or excuse; to acknowledge some fault or offense, with expression of regret for it, by way of amends
"After accidentally breaking his neighbor's window, he stopped by the door to apologize and offer to pay for the repair."
In plain English: To apologize means to say you are sorry for something bad that you did and promise not to do it again.
"I need to apologize for being late to the meeting."
Usage: Use "apologize" rather than the noun form "apology" when describing the act itself. Avoid using this verb in passive constructions like "an apology was made," which is often more concise and direct to say simply as "I apologize."
The word apologie comes from the Greek apología, which originally meant "a speech in defense." It traveled into English to describe the act of making such a statement when admitting fault or explaining one's actions.