See apology in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Synonyms
apology apologia defense justification
These nouns denote a statement that excuses or defends something, such as a past action or a policy: arguments that constituted an apology for capital punishment; published an apologia expounding her version of the events; a defense based on ignorance of the circumstances; an untenable justification for police brutality.
See apology in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II
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