acceptance

American  

[ak-sep-tuhns, ik-] / ækˈsɛp təns, ɪk- /

noun

• acceptances
  plural

1. the act of taking or receiving something offered.

2. favorable reception; approval; favor.

3. the act of assenting or believing.

   acceptance of a theory.

4. the fact or state of being accepted or acceptable.

5. acceptation.

6. Commerce.

   1. an engagement to pay an order, draft, or bill of exchange when it becomes due, as by the person on whom it is drawn.

   2. an order, draft, etc., that a person or bank has accepted as calling for payment and has thus promised to pay.

---

acceptance British  

/ əkˈsɛptəns /

noun

1. the act of accepting or the state of being accepted or acceptable

2. favourable reception; approval

3. (often foll by of) belief (in) or assent (to)

4. commerce

   1. a formal agreement by a debtor to pay a draft, bill, etc

   2. the document so accepted Compare bank acceptance

5. (plural) a list of horses accepted as starters in a race

6. contract law words or conduct by which a person signifies his assent to the terms and conditions of an offer or agreement

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonacceptance
  noun
• preacceptance
  noun
• reacceptance
  noun
• self-acceptance
  noun
• unacceptance
  noun
• proacceptance
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• acceptances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of acceptance

First recorded in 1565–75; accept + -ance

Explanation

Acceptance is taking something given to you. You might be relieved by your friend's acceptance of your apology for accidentally riding your bike over his foot. An acceptance of someone or something is also an indication that you approve of or believe in it (or them). If you dye your hair green and wear a suit made of bear fur, gaining your grandmother’s acceptance may prove difficult if she's a conservative dresser and an animal lover. In legal terms acceptance is language signifying consent to the terms of an offer, leading to the creation of a contract.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acceptance acceptances

Gouverneur agreed to refuse acceptance of abolitionist shipments pending a ruling from Kendall.

From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026

Last month, the British retail company—founded by billionaire Mike Ashley—said it now holds 33.05 million shares in Hugo Boss, or 47.89%, after the acceptance period for its offer ended.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The system also uses materials with prior regulatory acceptance, a feature intended to make eventual clinical translation more practical.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

Dolly’s messages of affirmation and acceptance were pivotal for scores of queer Appalachians and Southerners.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

Her immense eyes widened with childlike acceptance, as if he had revealed the cardinal mystery of creation.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

That shift, highlighting acceptances instead of rejections, is an appeal for many young people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

According to Ucas, engineering and technology subjects saw the biggest growth in university acceptances, up 16% from last year.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

But the biggest increase in acceptances was for the most selective, "higher-tariff" universities – such as those in the Russell Group.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

UniCredit received valid acceptances for its offer for Commerzbank of 10.9% as of Tuesday, which add to its existing direct stake of 26.8%, according to a regulatory filing published by the Italian bank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

She graduated second in her class and had had her choice of colleges: a full ride at Oberlin, a partial scholarship at Denison, acceptances all over the state, from Kenyon to Kent State to Wooster.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Related Words

• accession
• acknowledgment
• admission
• adoption
• affirmation
• agreement
• approval
• concession
• recognition