acknowledgment
Americannoun
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acknowledgments
plural
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an act of acknowledging.
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recognition of the existence or truth of something.
the acknowledgment of a sovereign power.
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an expression of appreciation.
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a thing done or given in appreciation or gratitude.
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Law.
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a declaration before an official that one has executed a particular legal document.
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an official certificate of a formal acknowledging.
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public recognition by a man of an illegitimate child as his own.
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noun
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the act of acknowledging or state of being acknowledged
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something done or given as an expression of thanks, as a reply to a message, etc
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(plural) an author's statement acknowledging his use of the works of other authors, usually printed at the front of a book
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of acknowledgment
First recorded in 1585–95; acknowledge + -ment
Explanation
When you recognize or admit the truth of something, you make an acknowledgment. Your grumpy friend who never gets enough sleep? He needs to make an acknowledgment of what his late nights are doing to his mood. Other kinds of acknowledgments give credit where it's due. Research papers that quote other people's words or ideas contain acknowledgments that name the source. Publicly thanking someone is another kind of acknowledgment. Award winners at the Oscars and other ceremonies often rattle off a big list of names, acknowledgement for their contribution to the winner's success.
Vocabulary lists containing acknowledgment
Lesson 1
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"Amigo Brothers" and "Lean on Me"
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The Tale of Despereaux
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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:
It’s also an acknowledgment that Meta didn’t want to have to rely on other companies for access to its ecosystem.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
He looks up at her, smiles gently and nods in acknowledgment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
In organizing this porchfest, there are acknowledgment statements for both musicians and homeowners who permit the use of their property.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Take the “Gen Z stare,” that supposedly blank look younger service workers give customers expecting a burst of social acknowledgment.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
As the emperor stammered his gratitude, the Queen Mother nodded to him and gave the sea of bowed heads a glance of acknowledgment.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
But as any parent with children applying to college can tell you, diversity prompts abound on essay questions, and land acknowledgments remain here and there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Kennedy halted the FDA-backed proposal that would have restricted sunlamp products to users 18 and older and required warning acknowledgments about cancer risks.
From Salon ● May 9, 2026
Careful readers of end credits will see acknowledgments of “ET” footage at the end of Apple TV’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” the Netflix docs on Schwarzenegger and Wham!,
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2026
Death crosses are more acknowledgments that the trend has extended long enough and/or fallen far enough to be taken seriously, and aren’t necessarily meant to be good market-timing signals.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 14, 2026
To Mr. Bennet’s acknowledgments he briefly replied, with assurance of his eagerness to promote the welfare of any of his family; and concluded with entreaties that the subject might never be mentioned to him again.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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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.
