apology and excuse share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. apology means “an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone”. excuse means “accept an excuse for”. excuse is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈpɑləˌdʒi/
1.n.an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone
“he wrote a letter of apology to the hostess”
2.n.a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly
3.n.a poor example
“it was an apology for a meal”
/ɪkˈskjus/
1.v.accept an excuse for
“Please excuse my dirty hands”
2.v.grant exemption or release to
“Please excuse me from this class”
3.v.serve as a reason or cause or justification of
“Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work”
| apology | excuse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈpɑləˌdʒi/ | /ɪkˈskjus/ |
| Said | uh-PAH-luh-jee | ik-SKYOOS |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 3 | 9 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | pardon |
Full entry for apology · Full entry for excuse · More comparisons