Okuzeka
Office & Administration vocabulary · Meetings, Minutes & Memos

Apologies

Meaning in office & administration, with examples

/əˈpɒlədʒiz/nounAdvanced term

In office & administration, apologies means: In meetings, a formal message from someone who cannot attend; in minutes, the list of people who said in advance that they could not come.

In Turkish: katılamayanlar, mazeret bildirenler, katılamama mazereti

How it is used

Common in British minutes and formal meetings. The first agenda item is often "Apologies for absence". You send your apologies, and the minute-taker records them: "Apologies were received from Can Öztürk." This is different from apologising for a mistake.

Example sentences

  1. I'm afraid I can't make Tuesday's meeting. Please send my apologies.

  2. Apologies were received from the finance director and the head of IT.

Common collocations

  • send your apologies
  • apologies for absence
  • apologies were received from
  • give your apologies
  • minutesThe official written record of a meeting, listing who attended, what was discussed, what was decided and which actions were agreed.
  • agendaA list of the topics to be discussed at a meeting, in the order they will be discussed, usually sent to participants beforehand.
  • chairTo lead a meeting by following the agenda, keeping discussion on track, giving people a turn to speak and making sure decisions are reached.
  • AOBShort for any other business: the last item on a meeting agenda, when people can raise topics that were not listed.

More terms: Meetings, Minutes & Memos

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: