acknowledge
Americanverb (used with object)
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acknowledges,
present (3rd person singular)
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acknowledged,
past participle, past
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acknowledging
present participle
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to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of.
to acknowledge one's mistakes.
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to show or express recognition or realization of.
to acknowledge an acquaintance by nodding.
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to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of.
The students acknowledged the authority of the student council.
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to show or express appreciation or gratitude for.
to acknowledge a favor.
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to indicate or make known the receipt of.
to acknowledge a letter.
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to take notice of or reply to.
to acknowledge a greeting.
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Law. to confirm as binding or of legal force.
to acknowledge a deed.
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to recognize or admit the existence, truth, or reality of
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to indicate recognition or awareness of, as by a greeting, glance, etc
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to express appreciation or thanks for
to acknowledge a gift
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to make the receipt of known to the sender
to acknowledge a letter
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to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of
Synonym Usage
Acknowledge, admit, confess agree in the idea of declaring something to be true. Acknowledge implies making a statement reluctantly, often about something previously denied: to acknowledge a fault. Admit especially implies acknowledging something under pressure: to admit a charge. Confess usually means stating somewhat formally an admission of wrongdoing, crime, or shortcoming: to confess guilt; to confess an inability to understand.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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acknowledgernoun
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preacknowledgeverb (used with object)
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reacknowledgeverb (used with object)
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acknowledgeableadjective
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unacknowledgingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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acknowledgesimple
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acknowledgessimple
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have acknowledgedperfect
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has acknowledgedperfect
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am acknowledgingprogressive
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are acknowledgingprogressive
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is acknowledgingprogressive
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have been acknowledgingperfect progressive
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has been acknowledgingperfect progressive
Past
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acknowledgedsimple
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had acknowledgedperfect
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was acknowledgingprogressive
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were acknowledgingprogressive
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had been acknowledgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of acknowledge
First recorded in 1475–85; late Middle English acknowleche, apparently either Middle English aknou(en) “to recognize” + -leche, noun suffix, variant of -lac; or a blend of aknouen and knouleche knowledge; then a- was mistaken for ac-
Explanation
To show that you know something is to acknowledge it. Waving "hello" to acknowledge a friend and nodding your head "yes" to acknowledge that you agree with what's being said are both acts showing knowledge or acceptance of someone or something. Dictionaries acknowledge that the word acknowledge has roots in the 15th and 16th centuries and is a combination of roots meaning "accord," "recognize," and "understand." Whereas "knowledge" is what you know, acknowledging is showing that you know. You might acknowledge that the world is round and that the moon is not made of cheese. You also can acknowledge, or give recognition, to the people who discovered these truths.
Vocabulary lists containing acknowledge
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 1
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Nothing But the Truth
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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:
Nice of him to acknowledge the table stakes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
“This era is over, but it’s hard to acknowledge from a pricing perspective.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
King Charles III will acknowledge the "darkest days" of colonial rule and slavery while touring Caribbean countries on a visit beginning this month, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Friday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
But executives had softened their tone by mid-September and went further to acknowledge the leverage that its unionized workers hold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
He must have had regrets and parts of himself he was afraid to acknowledge or share.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Gibney acknowledges that he doesn’t know what Musk meant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
In “Lanterns,” Stewart creates his own version that acknowledges his journey and perspective on becoming a Green Lantern.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
Even France, long associated with an assertive version of laïcité, now acknowledges that religious belief remains integral to human dignity, moral reflection and civic life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Interviewed on the David Lin report podcast on Monday, Bianco acknowledges that “I’m not going to be smart enough to say 5.25% is the high but we’re getting close enough.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
There are tears on my face, but neither of us mentions or even acknowledges them.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Roberts acknowledged that he’d be open to moving Ohtani down in the lineup but would have the conversation with the player first.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
In her sentencing remarks, the judge acknowledged the "devastating" impact of the crime on Broadhurst's family, and added that he was "a hard-working and decent man who was deeply loved".
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
They found the natural scenery stunning, but acknowledged not knowing, or learning, much about Tibetan culture—nor interacting with many Tibetans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Asked about the commercial environment for fashion labels, with many creative directors under pressure, Kronthaler acknowledged the generally difficult trading conditions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
At first, the guards at the gate ignored them, and when they finally acknowledged Yishan’s persistent requests, they did little more than pass the message on to a servant.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
UN Climate chief Simon Stiell has defended the negotiations while acknowledging their limitations: "No single COP can fix this global crisis, but each takes meaningful steps forward," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
"We want immediate results," said a 22-year-old computer science student, Yvonne Kileme, acknowledging that the results of government projects may be more long-term.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
A narrow focus on Europe’s problems without acknowledging its strengths is making businesses wary, pushing households to build savings and putting Europe’s economic future at risk, according to ING’s chief economist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Rob Pelinka, the president of basketball operations, starts the Thursday media session expressing gratitude to James while acknowledging excitement about the future.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
“I am my own engineer, and my own carpenter, and my own plumber, and my own gardener, and my own Jack of all Trades,” said Wemmick, in acknowledging my compliments.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Definitions 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.
