From the Greek "Apatao" = "I am misleading" in allusion to apatite often being confused with other minerals.

The Apatite Group minerals are a group of phosphates, arsenates and vanadates that have very similar hexagonal or pseudohexagonal monoclinic structures. This group includes several important and colorful minerals such as apatite (from where this group gets its name), mimetite, pyromorphite and vanadinite.

Apatite is one of few minerals that are produced and used by biological micro-environmental systems. Apatite has a Mohs Scale hardness of 5. Hydroxylapatite is the major component of tooth enamel. A relatively rare form of apatite in which most of the OH groups are absent and containing many carbonate and acid phosphate substitutions is a large component of bone material.

In the United States, apatite is often used to fertilize tobacco. It partially starves the plant of nitrogen, which gives American cigarettes a different taste from those of other countries.

Apatite is infrequently used as a gemstone. Transparent stones of clean color have been faceted, and chatoyant specimens have been cabochon cut. Chatoyant stones are known as cat's-eye apatite, transparent green stones are known as asparagus stone, and blue stones have been called moroxite. Crystals of rutile may have grown in the crystal of apatite so when in the right light, the cut stone displays a cat's eye effect. Major sources for gem apatite are Brazil, Burma, and Mexico. Other sources include Canada, Czechoslovakia, Germany, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, and the US.