acceptable
Americanadjective
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capable or worthy of being accepted.
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pleasing to the receiver; satisfactory; agreeable; welcome.
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meeting only minimum requirements; barely adequate.
an acceptable performance.
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capable of being endured; tolerable; bearable.
acceptable levels of radiation.
adjective
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satisfactory; adequate
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pleasing; welcome
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tolerable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of acceptable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word acceptābilis. See accept, -able
Explanation
Something that is acceptable is satisfactory or proper for whatever purpose it is considered; it may not be all that’s hoped for, but it's at least adequate. A grade of “A” is best, but is a grade of "C" acceptable? It depends on whom you ask. The word acceptable means "able to accept," a word that comes from the Latin acceptare, which meant "to take willingly." Although the word acceptable suggests something that is fine, it sometimes suggests the least that would be sufficient, and can carry a somewhat negative connotation, as was the case when Franz Kafka wrote, "Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable."
Vocabulary lists containing acceptable
List 2
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Real Nice!
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 6
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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.
Meanwhile, today’s wellness culture has made moderation more socially acceptable.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
According to the researchers, this makes open-label placebos a promising and ethically acceptable strategy for supporting healthy aging.
From Science Daily • Jun. 25, 2026
And above all, rooting wildly for one’s own country in delightfully idiosyncratic ways is perfectly acceptable.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
Throughout the leafy Lower Merion district, which serves about 62,000 residents, parents said the status quo isn’t acceptable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
My brain fries when I try to read Shakespeare, but my English teacher would not accept “my hound hath eaten my volume” as an acceptable excuse for avoiding Hamlet.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
