apologizing

What are you really doing when you're apologizing? “Feeling regret or penitence” is one definition [https://www.google.com/search?q=sorry+defintion&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS912US913&oq=sorry+defintion&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i10i433j0i10l7j0i10i22i30.2329j1j7&