apologetics

noun

apol·​o·​get·​ics ə-ˌpä-lə-ˈje-tiks How to pronounce apologetics (audio)
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
1
: systematic argumentative discourse (see discourse entry 1 sense 2a) in defense (as of a doctrine)
2
: a branch of theology devoted to the defense of the divine origin and authority of Christianity

Examples of apologetics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So anyway, reading McLeroy's apologetics in the op-ed is astounding. Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2011 All of these apologetics carry with them the implication that God doesn't really care that much about us down here on Earth. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2012 Rather than recognizing that anti-Semitism has a life of its own—a history, ways of obfuscating and a set of apologetics for those who subscribe to its conspiracy theories—Jew-hatred is subsumed into a much fuzzier category. WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022 With a master of arts in Christian apologetics from Biola University's Talbot School of Theology, Karamo describes herself as a Christian apologist on her LinkedIn page. Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2022 Those remarks echoed a previous bout of Putin apologetics by Berlusconi last month on one of the country’s most prominent political talk shows. Jason Horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2022 The institute offers courses, lessons, and guidance on Catholic apologetics and evangelization. Fox News, 28 Aug. 2022 Stronger evidence of bad-faith, bad-history apologetics could hardly be imagined. James Oakes, The New York Review of Books, 12 May 2022 These numbers suggest that Republican members of Congress, candidates and commentators echoing Mr. Trump’s isolationism and Kremlin apologetics are out of sync with GOP voters. Karl Rove, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'apologetics.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1733, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of apologetics was circa 1733

Dictionary Entries Near apologetics

Cite this Entry

“Apologetics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apologetics. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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