accept
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor.
to accept a present;
to accept a proposal.
- Antonyms:
- reject
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to agree or consent to; accede to.
to accept a treaty;
to accept an apology.
- Synonyms:
- concede
-
to respond or answer affirmatively to.
to accept an invitation.
-
to undertake the responsibility, duties, honors, etc., of.
to accept the office of president.
-
to receive or admit formally, as to a college or club.
-
to accommodate or reconcile oneself to.
to accept the situation.
-
to regard as true or sound; believe.
to accept a claim;
to accept Catholicism.
- Synonyms:
- acknowledge
-
to regard as normal, suitable, or usual.
-
to receive as to meaning; understand.
-
Commerce. to acknowledge, by signature, as calling for payment, and thus to agree to pay, as a draft.
-
(in a deliberative body) to receive as an adequate performance of the duty with which an officer or a committee has been charged; receive for further action.
The report of the committee was accepted.
-
to receive or contain (something attached, inserted, etc.).
This socket won't accept a three-pronged plug.
-
to receive (a transplanted organ or tissue) without adverse reaction.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to take or receive (something offered)
-
to give an affirmative reply to
to accept an invitation
-
to take on the responsibilities, duties, etc, of
he accepted office
-
to tolerate or accommodate oneself to
-
to consider as true or believe in (a philosophy, theory, etc)
I cannot accept your argument
-
(may take a clause as object) to be willing to grant or believe
you must accept that he lied
-
to receive with approval or admit, as into a community, group, etc
-
commerce to agree to pay (a bill, draft, shipping document, etc), esp by signing
-
to receive as adequate, satisfactory, or valid
-
to receive, take, or hold (something applied, inserted, etc)
-
archaic to take or receive an offer, invitation, etc
Usage
What’s the difference between accept and except? Accept is a common word with many meanings, most of which involve receiving something, taking something on, or putting up with something. Except is most commonly used as a preposition meaning excluding or but, as in Everyone was invited except me, or as a conjunction meaning but for the fact that, as in I would have called, except I lost my phone.Except can also be used as a verb meaning to exclude, as in the common phrase present company excepted, but its verb use is much less common. In contrast, accept is always a verb.To remember the difference in the spelling between accept and except, remember that except shares the prefix ex- with exclude, which is fitting since except is commonly used in situations in which someone or something has been excluded.Accept, on the other hand, is often used in situations in which something is acquired.Here’s an example of accept and except used correctly in the same sentence.Example: I usually accept your excuses, except this time I know they’re not true.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between accept and except.
Commonly Confused
The verbs accept and except are sometimes confused because of their similar pronunciations, especially in rapid speech. Accept means “to take or receive” ( I accept this trophy ), while except means “to exclude” ( Certain types of damage are excepted from coverage in this insurance policy ).
Other Word Forms
- accepter noun
- preaccept verb
- reaccept verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of accept
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English accepten, from Middle French accepter, from Latin acceptāre “to take, receive regularly,” frequentative of accipere “to take, receive,” equivalent to ac- ac- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”; captive ( def. )
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.
BBG Sports, the company that owns Snicko, accepted culpability and there was more controversy around the technology involving England keeper Smith the following day.
From BBC
"You know you've got this person who understands you, believes in you, accepts you, loves you, lets you be yourself and you learn that as your relationship grows."
From BBC
"It is with a deep sense of honour and respect that I accept your invitation to become patron of the Special Air Service Regimental Association," he said.
From BBC
Will then lurches into a tut-tutting recapitulation of the French army chief of staff’s public statement that his nation’s people must accept the risk of losing their children to protect France from an unnamed aggressor.
From Salon
He accepts the thanks graciously but never boasts.
From BBC
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.
