You mean like this... https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-65/apologetics-cs-lewis.html https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issu

You mean like this... https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-65/apologetics-cs-lewis.html https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-65/ap... The person you are responding to is correct. "Apologist" may be used as you say often in "modern" vernacular English, but it still is properly used as suggested.