Synonyms

receive

American

[ri-seev] / rɪˈsiv /

verb (used with object)

to take into one's possession (something offered or delivered).

to receive many gifts.

Antonyms:

give
to have (something) bestowed, conferred, etc..

to receive an honorary degree.
to have delivered or brought to one.

to receive a letter.
to get or be informed of.

to receive instructions;
to receive news.
to be burdened with; sustain.

to receive a heavy load.
to hold, bear, or contain.

The nut receives a bolt and a washer.
The plaster receives the impression of the mold.
to take into the mind; apprehend mentally.

to receive an idea.
to accept from another by hearing or listening.

A priest received his confession.
to meet with; experience.

to receive attention.
to suffer the injury of.

He received a terrific blow on the forehead.
to be at home to (visitors).

They received their neighbors on Sunday.

Synonyms:

welcome, entertain, admit
to greet or welcome (guests, visitors, etc.) upon arriving.

They received us at the front door.
to admit (a person) to a place.

The butler received him and asked him to wait in the drawing room.
to admit into an organization, membership, etc..

to receive someone into the group.
to accept as authoritative, valid, true, or approved.

a principle universally received.
to react to in the manner specified.

to receive a proposal with contempt;
She received the job offer with joy.

verb (used without object)

to receive something.
to receive visitors or guests.
Radio. to convert incoming electromagnetic waves into the original signal.
to receive the Eucharist.

He receives every Sunday.

receive British

/ rɪˈsiːv /

verb

to take (something offered) into one's hand or possession
to have (an honour, blessing, etc) bestowed
to accept delivery or transmission of (a letter, telephone call, etc)
to be informed of (news or information)
to hear and consent to or acknowledge (an oath, confession, etc)
(of a vessel or container) to take or hold (a substance, commodity, or certain amount)
to support or sustain (the weight of something); bear
to apprehend or perceive (ideas, etc)
to experience, undergo, or meet with

to receive a crack on the skull
(also intr) to be at home to (visitors)
to greet or welcome (visitors or guests), esp in formal style
to admit (a person) to a place, society, condition, etc

he was received into the priesthood
to accept or acknowledge (a precept or principle) as true or valid
to convert (incoming radio signals) into sounds, pictures, etc, by means of a receiver
(also intr) tennis to play at the other end from the server; be required to return (service)
(also intr) to partake of (the Christian Eucharist)
(intr) to buy and sell stolen goods

"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

Usage

Spelling tips for receive The word receive is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it can be hard to remember if the [ s] sound is spelled with a c or an s. Second, the order of the middle vowels can be tricky. Is it ei or ie? How to spell receive: When you receive something you want to C (see) it. This reminds you that it is spelled with a c, not an s. To remember the order of the vowels, keep in mind the classic mnemonic device: I before E except after C. Since receive is spelled with a C, the E goes before the I.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of receive

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English receven, from Old North French receivre, from Latin recipere, equivalent to re- re- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”

Explanation

Receive means to get or accept. On your birthday you might receive many presents. If you have a huge formal party that night, you'll stand in a receiving line, where you'll greet or receive your guests. Unless you're receiving bad news or a stiff reprimand, receive can be pretty great. If one of your gifts is a trip to a spa, you might receive the news with pleasure, and then, when you go to the spa, receive several treatments. And remember, receive is one of those words that you have to say, "I before E, except after C, or when sounding like A, as in neighbor or weigh," before knowing how to spell it.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing receive

American Football, 1st Quarter

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Commonly Misspelled Words, List 2

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

List 1

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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:

receive receives received receiving

Eventually, the only-child grandchild could inherit 25% while cousins in the largest branch receive just 6.25% each.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

"There are a lot of pupils who have fainted and who did not receive any medical attention," Jean told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Look for banks that allow you to receive Social Security payments abroad without service charges or foreign transaction fees.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Qualifying residents will also receive air filters to mitigate pollution from diesel and heavy construction equipment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

In each new iteration of Super Smash Bros., the characters get upgraded—they receive new powers, new moves, or just tweaks to their classic designs.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

The customer receives a better product, but heavier usage can absorb the savings from cheaper computing.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Federal law requires the FCC to “act on every application it receives, but it does not obligate the Commission to act within a particular timeframe.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Sources with knowledge of the arrangement confirmed this was the case, and described to us how Hassan receives money from the US authorities through an intermediary, making it harder to trace.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Sources told NBC News that Combs paid inmates to clean and cook special meals for him, including curry chicken, pizza and empanadas, and that the hip-hop and R&B music producer also receives Chinese-style massages.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

“It is past the hour when one habitually receives nobility.”

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

The agency received a mayday call from a vessel about 1 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

How much Sir Olly received in the settlement has not been made public.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

All seven candidates to lead the United Nations received a vote of "discourage," effectively a veto, from a permanent UN Security Council member in the latest informal poll, a diplomat said Friday.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

He’s received a signed AI server from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and a shout-out from Musk on X for appearing in a hard hat at a SpaceX data-center construction site.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

I’m trying to think back to the first call I received fifty hours ago.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

In this case, a trusted family member or friend can be enormously helpful for receiving the occasional piece of mail, replacement credit card or other documents that still must be sent the old-fashioned way.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Each person completed the experiment twice, once after receiving hydrocortisone and once after receiving the placebo.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

But in the limited number of games thus far, the receiving team has won more often with 13 wins, seven losses and two ties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

But he also has a global profile, including in Africa, where Infantino recently received a major re-election boost when receiving the backing of all 54 member national associations after promising an increase in funding.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

In her memoirs, Leah wrote of receiving gold medals, watches, and diamonds from Ohio’s spiritualists.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

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