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

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Etymology

Origin of acceptance

First recorded in 1565–75; accept + -ance

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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

Although this explanation has gained widespread acceptance, scientists have not experimentally established that it can account for the diversity of follicle patterns found across species.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026

For Eleanor's family, the trust's acceptance of responsibility and public apology are important, but this follows a long and painful process.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

The acceptance period for Intesa’s takeover offer is due to start next month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

“It’s crazy fanatics who are Israeli and Palestinian on the one hand—and those who have some kind of vision of mutual acceptance, whether it’s a two-state, one-state, doesn’t matter.”

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

She doesn’t clap and run out of the bedroom to tell Papi, like she did when she got her acceptance and scholarship letter to Syracuse.

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

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

The steepest growth has been in acceptances to what Ucas calls "higher tariff" universities.

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

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

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

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Related Words

• accession
• acknowledgment
• admission
• adoption
• affirmation
• agreement
• approval
• concession
• recognition

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