Apologetic means showing that you are sorry. In the voice, the face and the wording.
It describes manner rather than the words themselves, so an apologetic smile and an apologetic cough both say sorry without an apology being made. There is a slightly weaker use in describing something as apologetic, meaning half-hearted, since an apologetic attempt is one made without conviction. The noun apology and the verb apologise belong to it, and unapologetic is a genuine compliment about conviction.
1adjectiveapologeticShowing or expressing regret.
“He was thoroughly apologetic about the mix-up.”
An apology was a defence. Greek apologeomai meant to speak in defence of yourself, so an apologetic tone once meant an argued case rather than an admission of fault.
Ancient Greek
ἀπολογητικός — of or suitable for defense
Latin
apologēticus
French
apologétique
English, today
apologetic
Built from
From French apologétique, from Latin apologēticus, from Ancient Greek ἀπολογητικός (“of or suitable for defense”), from ἀπολογέομαι (“to speak in defense of”); see more at English apology.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA