http://news.google.com/news?q=Apologist http://news.google.com/news?q=Apologist Of the first 10, most are as you say, 2 are about actual apologies, and 1 is a

http://news.google.com/news?q=Apologist http://news.google.com/news?q=Apologist Of the first 10, most are as you say, 2 are about actual apologies, and 1 is a "CIA apologist", which is in line with the above dictionary meaning. It does tend to have the connotation you mention, but that isn't its only use in the mainstream press.