accept

[ ak-sept ]
See synonyms for: acceptacceptedaccepting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor: to accept a present;to accept a proposal.

  2. to agree or consent to; accede to: to accept a treaty;to accept an apology.

  1. to respond or answer affirmatively to: to accept an invitation.

  2. to undertake the responsibility, duties, honors, etc., of: to accept the office of president.

  3. to receive or admit formally, as to a college or club.

  4. to accommodate or reconcile oneself to: to accept the situation.

  5. to regard as true or sound; believe: to accept a claim;to accept Catholicism.

  6. to regard as normal, suitable, or usual.

  7. to receive as to meaning; understand.

  8. Commerce. to acknowledge, by signature, as calling for payment, and thus to agree to pay, as a draft.

  9. (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.

  10. to receive or contain (something attached, inserted, etc.): This socket won't accept a three-pronged plug.

  11. to receive (a transplanted organ or tissue) without adverse reaction.: Compare reject (def. 7).

verb (used without object)
  1. to accept an invitation, gift, position, etc. (sometimes followed by of).

Origin of accept

1
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”; cf. captive

confusables note For accept

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 words for accept

Opposites for accept

Other words from accept

  • pre·ac·cept, verb
  • re·ac·cept, verb (used with object)

Words that may be confused with accept

  • accept , except (see usage note at the current entry)

Words Nearby accept

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How to use accept in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for accept

accept

/ (əkˈsɛpt) /


verb(mainly tr)
  1. to take or receive (something offered)

  2. to give an affirmative reply to: to accept an invitation

  1. to take on the responsibilities, duties, etc, of: he accepted office

  2. to tolerate or accommodate oneself to

  3. to consider as true or believe in (a philosophy, theory, etc): I cannot accept your argument

  4. (may take a clause as object) to be willing to grant or believe: you must accept that he lied

  5. to receive with approval or admit, as into a community, group, etc

  6. commerce to agree to pay (a bill, draft, shipping document, etc), esp by signing

  7. to receive as adequate, satisfactory, or valid

  8. to receive, take, or hold (something applied, inserted, etc)

  9. (intr sometimes foll by of) archaic to take or receive an offer, invitation, etc

Origin of accept

1
C14: from Latin acceptāre, from ad- to + capere to take

Derived forms of accept

  • accepter, noun

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