Too many uneducated people think it is synonymous with apologize or that you are making an excuse for something when you are an apologist. This is not the correct meaning. Being an apologist means that you are using reason to defend a position. It is ironic that it would be used in a negative sense on a board full of LDS people since there are many well known apologists for the LDS faith. But if a person is embarrassed with the HC and use it as an excuse they are not an apologist - they are an apologizer.

One interesting thing I just read - a LDS or Catholic apologist is a person who defends the faith. An apologist for Islam is considered to be a person who criticizes Judaism and Christianity. Very telling.