acceptance
Americannoun
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acceptances
plural
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the act of taking or receiving something offered.
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favorable reception; approval; favor.
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the act of assenting or believing.
acceptance of a theory.
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the fact or state of being accepted or acceptable.
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Commerce.
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an engagement to pay an order, draft, or bill of exchange when it becomes due, as by the person on whom it is drawn.
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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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noun
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the act of accepting or the state of being accepted or acceptable
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favourable reception; approval
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(often foll by of) belief (in) or assent (to)
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commerce
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a formal agreement by a debtor to pay a draft, bill, etc
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the document so accepted Compare bank acceptance
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(plural) a list of horses accepted as starters in a race
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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
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nonacceptancenoun
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preacceptancenoun
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reacceptancenoun
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self-acceptancenoun
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unacceptancenoun
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proacceptanceadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of acceptance
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.
Vocabulary lists containing acceptance
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ance, -ence
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Althea Gibson Article and "Roberto Clemente’s Gifts from the Heart"
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"CLEP Principles of Management," Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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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.
See Examples For:
He stressed that his resignation should not "be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
In a letter posted online, he said quitting was "the only way" to end a "difficult period", but insisted the decision should not be "mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me".
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
In many U.S. jurisdictions, an executor is named in a person’s will, not by signing an acceptance beforehand.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The announcement shocked country fans who had followed the couple through podcast appearances and acceptance speeches that painted a rosy picture of the pair’s relationship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
But after military surgeons in France and Germany used the methods successfully during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Lister's approach gained acceptance in Europe.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
By comparison, for medium-tariff universities - where students tend to get in with fewer Ucas points than the more selective universities - acceptances increased by 3.8%.
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
But, with four in 10 universities thought to be in deficit and acceptances only up by 1.4% at "lower tariff" universities, there will be institutions hoping to recruit more students through Clearing.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2025
In 2024, Burke went 0 for 28 in film festival acceptances, which made him question if “Burt” might be the final chapter of his career instead of a launching pad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2025
As all of these financial shenanigans were happening—offers, discussions, negotiations, acceptances, and then rejections—Bobby was going his own way but under the influence and guidance of the Church.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
