embrace
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take or clasp in the arms; press to the bosom; hug.
-
to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly.
to embrace an idea.
-
to avail oneself of.
to embrace an opportunity.
- Synonyms:
- seize
-
to adopt (a profession, a religion, etc.).
to embrace Buddhism.
-
to take in with the eye or the mind.
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to encircle; surround; enclose.
a secret garden embraced by wild shrubs.
-
to include or contain.
An encyclopedia embraces a great number of subjects.
- Antonyms:
- exclude
verb (used without object)
noun
-
embraces
plural
verb (used with object)
verb
-
(also intr) (of a person) to take or clasp (another person) in the arms, or (of two people) to clasp each other, as in affection, greeting, etc; hug
-
to accept (an opportunity, challenge, etc) willingly or eagerly
-
to take up (a new idea, faith, etc); adopt
to embrace Judaism
-
to comprise or include as an integral part
geology embraces the science of mineralogy
-
to encircle or enclose
noun
-
the act of embracing
-
euphemistic (often plural) sexual intercourse
verb
Synonym Usage
See include.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of embrace1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French embracier, equivalent to em- em- 1 + bracier “to embrace,” derivative of brace “the two arms”; see brace
Origin of embrace2
First recorded in 1420–1475; late Middle English: “to influence, prejudice, bribe (a jury),” perhaps the same word as embrace 1
Explanation
To embrace something is to welcome it with open arms, hold, hug, accept completely. You might embrace your sweetheart, or even changes in technology. Embrace is from the French verb embrasser, which started out meaning "to clasp in the arms" (but now includes kissing). You embrace someone by giving her a giant hug, and when you embrace a new idea, it's like your brain gives it a hug. The noun and verb form are similar: If you embrace someone who isn't your sweetheart, you might get caught in an embrace. In Henry IV, Shakespeare writes about a really, really tight embrace: "I will embrace him with a soldier's arm/That he shall shrink under my courtesy."
Vocabulary lists containing embrace
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Of Mice and Men
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"Of Mice and Men"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And I think they all want to embrace it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Johnson, for instance, says the firm’s research with the the Immersive Experience Institute has shown a hunger in younger generations to embrace spaces such as the Rainforest Cafe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
"We have a busy schedule. We want to embrace the challenge, but the position at the minute is not good."
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
The Continent can save itself only if it can “awaken from its long slumber” and again embrace the “fire” of times past.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Petrosian’s wife rushed to her husband to embrace him.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The kitchen, meanwhile, embraces classic New York City style with dark wood cabinetry, ample storage, and modern appliances.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
"Imagine a grandfather who silently embraces you every day, listens to you, and has always been strong and full of life," she says.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Dostoevsky follows the narrator over four nights and a morning during which he ceases living in his imagination and embraces reality for the first time.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
In literary circles, Boyagoda is often referred to as a Catholic novelist, a description he embraces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Old friends greeted Griff with smiles and embraces, the new men more formally.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Sombr, for all his commercial success, hasn’t been as warmly embraced by tastemakers; some have described his darkly glossy pop-rock as the work of a so-called industry plant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Born Robert Francis Prevost on Chicago's South Side in 1955, the 71-year-old pontiff is the first American-born pope and has been warmly embraced by US Catholics since he was elected last May.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
That desire for privacy appears to align with the quieter lifestyle Carrey has embraced away from Hollywood in recent years.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
In the UK, Jimmy McLoughlin, a former Downing Street adviser and now host of the Jimmy's Jobs of the Future podcast, has also embraced clips.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Finally, I felt Jay’s skinny arms around me, and Mama embraced us both.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Higher registrations show that drivers in Europe are embracing Tesla despite stiff competition from Chinese rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
However, refreshed and reshaped, Wouter Vrancken's men are embracing the trip to face a Celtic side still failing to convince a support that are becoming increasingly disgruntled after another chastening European defeat at Benfica.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
For Netflix, that means looking outside of its once-unimpeachable red walls and embracing more reluctant partnerships with rivals, while cutting costs and overhauling old practices wherever possible.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Lula has even dubbed himself the "selfie king," embracing informal, direct-to-camera campaign videos.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
My mom loves technology, always embracing the next new thing.
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
