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.

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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

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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

"I'm so sorry I can't be with you. What a great honour it is," Leigh said in a video acceptance speech.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

She also recalled the emotional moment when he thanked her during one of his acceptance speeches, calling her "the brains of the outfit".

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

In his acceptance speech, Rhys paid tribute to the "great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurturer as anyone else".

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

But Bernardez eventually earned acceptance by establishing himself as someone who was committed to the neighborhood, not an interloper.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

“People, especially children, ought to be taught acceptance and peace,” St. Francis protested with an angry clap of her porcelain hands.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

The British retail company, founded by Mike Ashley, said Tuesday that it received acceptances for 12.2 million Hugo Boss shares, or about 17.62% of the German company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

And acceptances at lower-tariff universities fell by 1.7% year-on-year.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

UniCredit received valid acceptances representing a 12.51% stake in Commerzbank at the end of its initial offer period earlier this week, the Italian bank said Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Then, in 2020, Alex was set to graduate at the top of his class and had racked up a slew of college acceptances, including a full ride to Harvard University.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025

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