acknowledgment
Americannoun
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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.
Appeared in the December 30, 2025, print edition as 'The Professor’s Sly ‘Land Acknowledgment’'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
Acknowledgment of the problem by developers has been limited to a couple of reply tweets last week and one Monday afternoon saying the team is continuing to investigate.
From The Verge • Jun. 28, 2022
Acknowledgment is a culpable party’s admission that it has committed a horrendous wrong, accompanied by a promise to make restitution.
From New York Times • Sep. 24, 2021
Ohio State calls it the Buckeye Acknowledgment and Pledge, a two-page document the school asked its athletes to sign before they could begin using team facilities during the pandemic.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2020
Acknowledgment is here made of Captain Michel’s courtesy and kindness in this essential co-operation.
From The Ascent of Denali (Mount McKinley) A Narrative of the First Complete Ascent of the Highest Peak in North America by Stuck, Hudson
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.
