acquiesce
Americanverb (used without object)
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acquiesces,
present (3rd person singular)
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acquiesced,
past participle, past
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acquiescing
present participle
verb
Usage
The use of to after acquiesce was formerly regarded as incorrect, but is now acceptable
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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acquiescencenoun
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acquiescentadjective
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nonacquiescingadjective
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acquiescentlyadverb
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acquiescinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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acquiescesimple
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acquiescessimple
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have acquiescedperfect
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has acquiescedperfect
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am acquiescingprogressive
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are acquiescingprogressive
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is acquiescingprogressive
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have been acquiescingperfect progressive
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has been acquiescingperfect progressive
Past
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acquiescedsimple
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had acquiescedperfect
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was acquiescingprogressive
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were acquiescingprogressive
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had been acquiescingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of acquiesce
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin acquiēscere “to find rest in, ” equivalent to ac- ac- + quiē- + -sc- inchoative suffix + -ere infinitive suffix
Explanation
To acquiesce is to agree to something or to give in. If your kid sister is refusing to hand over the television remote, you hope she acquiesces before your favorite show comes on. The verb acquiesce comes from the Latin word acquiescere, meaning “to rest.” If you “rest” or become passive in the face of something to which you object, you are giving tacit agreement. In other words, you acquiesce. If you want to go hiking with your family and your children are not interested, it will be a very tough day on the trail until they acquiesce.
Vocabulary lists containing acquiesce
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The Declaration of Independence
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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:
You are saying your paycheck goes into bitcoin first, rather than being spent on unnecessary purchases, but will acquiesce when you need a new car.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Amodei said on Thursday he would rather stop working with the Pentagon than acquiesce to such threats.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
The social compact that endured since that trauma was that Iranians would acquiesce to hardship and restrictions in return for a strong state that protects them from foreign attack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
They refuse to give up their own potential or acquiesce to a narrative that portrays their strengths as weaknesses, so they succeed in manifesting a treasure that nobody even thought was real.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
“If you do not acquiesce, others will. We will And someone who will support this repair. We will take our business elsewhere.”
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
He is the way he is because, from what I observed, everyone acquiesces to him.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Initially, Ingrid resists, fearful that she lacks the emotional fortitude to be there for Martha, but once she acquiesces, they grow closer during their bittersweet getaway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2025
Then he acquiesces: "The main aim is to try to make a superhero film in Hollywood."
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2023
For now, the feline acquiesces; I head toward the kitchen.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2021
She relentlessly crushes the supine spirit who acquiesces, but to him who snaps his fingers in her face she often extends a helping hand.
From Quin by Alice Caldwell Hegan Rice
Apple’s appetite for flash storage swelled its leverage, and suppliers acquiesced to its demands for the lowest prices in the industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
He made a case to your grandmother to reduce your inheritance to 10% from one-third and she acquiesced.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
The Motion Picture Association and the U.S. ambassador to Canada had pressed the country to change the policy, and the government acquiesced late Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
It has just acquiesced to the status quo until it can decide.
From Slate ● May 5, 2026
“Don’t you know the weather prophet has told us we shall see the sun pretty soonr “Well, that ought to be reason enough,” he acquiesced.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
Big banks have already been acquiescing to Musk’s unusual demands, including paying up front for Grok subscriptions, thus juicing SpaceX’s flagging A.I. revenue.
From Slate ● May 15, 2026
But I don’t think you would not feel right about acquiescing to her wishes.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
Although Red Bull had already decided to ditch Perez, he was reluctant to leave and his management sought the best possible compensation agreement before acquiescing.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2024
Next, is kowtowing, accommodating and acquiescing to the whims and ego of that aging superstar or find yourself gone before your tenure is up.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2024
By acquiescing in an act that can cause such suffering to a living creature, who among us is not diminished as a human being?
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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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.
