received
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of received
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; receive + -ed 2
Explanation
Received is an adjective that refers to something that is largely accepted as true or good. It’s also the past participle of the verb receive. If you rely on received wisdom, you might not ever come up with an original idea. Received, meaning “generally accepted as true or worthy,” was first recorded in the fifteenth century as the past participle adjective of receive, a verb meaning “accept.” So, that which has been accepted, has been received, or noted as correct or good. More specifically, received can be used to refer to established truths, like that failing to drink enough water can lead to dehydration. It's one of those words that actually follows the rule "i before e except after c."
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.
Parts of Herefordshire for instance have only received a tenth of the rainfall they would normally have seen by mid-October so far this month.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The agency received a mayday call from a vessel about 1 a.m.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Lario also flagged the impact of climate change on small-scale farmers, who received less than one percent of allocated global climate finance.
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
“Colin received an update. RAF parachutes were found in the Channel.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
