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Synonyms

acknowledge

American

[ak-nol-ij] / ækˈnɒl ɪdʒ /

verb (used with object)

to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of.

to acknowledge one's mistakes.

Synonyms:

grant, confess, concede

Antonyms:

disavow, disclaim, deny
to show or express recognition or realization of.

to acknowledge an acquaintance by nodding.
to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of.

The students acknowledged the authority of the student council.
to show or express appreciation or gratitude for.

to acknowledge a favor.
to indicate or make known the receipt of.

to acknowledge a letter.
to take notice of or reply to.

to acknowledge a greeting.
Law. to confirm as binding or of legal force.

to acknowledge a deed.

acknowledge British

/ əkˈnɒlɪdʒ /

verb

(may take a clause as object) to recognize or admit the existence, truth, or reality of
to indicate recognition or awareness of, as by a greeting, glance, etc
to express appreciation or thanks for

to acknowledge a gift
to make the receipt of known to the sender

to acknowledge a letter
to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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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:

acknowledge acknowledges acknowledged acknowledging

She remembered a time when Arab and Muslim New Yorkers struggled to find elected officials willing to acknowledge their experiences at all.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia, under scrutiny over her legal credentials, seemed to acknowledge Thursday that she had failed the bar exam, but argued she was accurate in presenting herself as a lawyer.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

That’s either a masterful, high-stakes long game of passive-aggressive behavior or a level of stubbornness and unwillingness to acknowledge a mistake that is quickly and badly damaging the show’s reputation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

This is the part where we acknowledge what experienced pubcrawlers know: Guinness is its own deal, widely beloved, but not for everyone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

It was taboo because it exposed the inherent contradictions of the Virginia position, which was much closer to the position of the Deep South than Madison wished to acknowledge, even to himself.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

He acknowledges the support he has received from fans and his club.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Felipe taught himself how to program as a teenager and is developing his own game, although he acknowledges that working in Cuba throws up constant obstacles.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

Edwards acknowledges that perhaps it’s simply too early for the benefits of AI to be showing up in TFP data but still, he does cite another economist Rob Parenteau on the trends.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

And despite his upbeat perspective, even Stubb acknowledges that Europe needs to forge new partnerships in “a world of disorder.”

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

He acknowledges me now with a devious smile.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

It said it obtained proof that copies of the data were destroyed, but acknowledged there was no way to know for sure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

But the 41-year-old acknowledged Thursday she had failed the bar exam, a prerequisite for practicing law in the United States.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Institute for the Study of War reported that pro-Russian military bloggers had acknowledged the Ukrainian advances, and expressed fears this could lead to more losses for Russia in the future.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Barf bags are still supposed to be put in every seat, major U.S. airlines and flight attendants say, though some acknowledged that bags may not always be replaced immediately.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Fortunately, today’s scientists, historians, and art collectors have rediscovered and acknowledged her work for what it is: amazingly beautiful, accurate portrayals of insect metamorphoses and ecosystems.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

But acknowledging a property’s cheesy elements isn’t the same as generating consistent laughs from the situation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Warsh focused on the surge in investment thanks to artificial intelligence while acknowledging that inflation was elevated.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

While acknowledging the medical-device unit needed work, the company said it was on track to surpass $100 billion in yearly sales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

With decades-long careers in public office, both Jackson and Collins are striking a balance between defending their records and acknowledging that voters think the status quo is broken.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026

I was to beg him by praising him—never acknowledging the aggression behind his question.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023