unapologetic

Etymology

It is formed from English un- + apologetic.^[1][2] The OED compares German unapologetisch, recorded from 1829 or earlier.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not apologetic: 1834, in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's The Last Days of Pompeii.^[1][3] Etymonline finds the adjective implied by 1831 in the adverb unapologetically.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The word describes not only a person who offers no apology, but also something put forward or held without apology or qualification, such as an opinion or a believer in it.^[4][3] The OED's first record of the adverb unapologetically is from 1872.^[1]

Timeline

• 1834 – not apologetic.^[1][3] Etymonline finds it implied by 1831.^[2]
• 1872 – the adverb unapologetically.^[1]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Not willing to apologize, or feeling no need to: She was unapologetic about leaving the meeting early.^[5][6][3]
2. Offered, held or put forward without apology or qualification: an unapologetic defender of free trade.^[4][3]

Word family

• unapologetically

Related words

• apologetic
• apology
• apologize

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin