non-apology

noun

non-apol·​o·​gy ˌnän-ə-ˈpä-lə-jē 

variants or less commonly nonapology

plural non-apologies also nonapologies

: a disingenuous or insufficient apology : a statement that is offered as an apology but that fails to express true regret or to take responsibility for having done or said something wrong

The classic non-apology goes something like this: "I'm sorry if you were upset."

—Libby Watson

[Alex Jones] emitted a meager note of contrition, a non-apology to outdo non-apologies, constructed in the "mistakes were made" patois of our times: "I unintentionally took part in things that did hurt these people's feelings and I'm sorry for that."

—Pamela Paul

A different example of the same phenomenon is the classic bureaucrat's nonapology in response to the outraged protestations of some mobilized constituency or interest group: "We regret that our actions in this matter have caused offense."

—R. Jay Wallace

also : a refusal to apologize

In September, his new justice minister, Brad Johns, also publicly expressed his disappointment with the RCMP for its refusal to apologize for its use of police street checks, which are now banned in Nova Scotia. He said the force's non-apology will be one of the subjects "we're going to have to have a discussion about" …

—Stephen Kimber

Examples of non-apology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Andrew, who was second in line to the British throne when he was born in 1960, has seen his standing fall dramatically since his non-apology for his former friendship with Jeffrey Epstein emerged in a BBC interview in 2019. —Caroline Frost, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2024

Jack Antonoff had the perfect response to the backlash over his use of earplugs during Katy Perry’s VMAs performance on September 11: a satirical, non-apology apology. —Sam Reed, Glamour, 13 Sep. 2024

When Forbes confronted Perplexity about ripping off its reporting, Srinivas issued a non-apology. —Billy Perrigo/san Francisco, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024

Something occurs to me: A book on apologies — apologies in history (and non-apologies); the moral ins and outs — is a good idea. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 6 July 2023

Tommy Lee is issuing a non-apology of sorts after reposting a 2017 transphobic clip from the news network OAN. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 19 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above