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acknowledge

[ ak-nol-ij ]
/ ækˈnɒl ɪdʒ /
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See synonyms for: acknowledge / acknowledged / acknowledges / acknowledging on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ac·knowl·edged, ac·knowl·edg·ing.
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Origin of acknowledge

1475–85; acknowleche, apparently either Middle English aknou(en) to recognize (Old English oncnāwan;see a-1, know1) + -leche noun suffix (Old English *-lǣce, by-form of -lac;cf. knowledge, wedlock); or blend of aknouen and knoulecheknowledge; then a- was mistaken for ac-

synonym study for acknowledge

1. Acknowledge, admit, confess agree in the idea of declaring something to be true. Acknowledge implies making a statement reluctantly, often about something previously denied: to acknowledge a fault. Admit especially implies acknowledging something under pressure: to admit a charge. Confess usually means stating somewhat formally an admission of wrongdoing, crime, or shortcoming: to confess guilt; to confess an inability to understand.

OTHER WORDS FROM acknowledge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for acknowledge

acknowledge
/ (əkˈnɒlɪdʒ) /

verb (tr)
(may take a clause as object) to recognize or admit the existence, truth, or reality of
to indicate recognition or awareness of, as by a greeting, glance, etc
to express appreciation or thanks forto acknowledge a gift
to make the receipt of known to the senderto acknowledge a letter
to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of

Derived forms of acknowledge

acknowledgeable, adjectiveacknowledger, noun

Word Origin for acknowledge

C15: probably from earlier knowledge, on the model of Old English oncnāwan, Middle English aknowen to confess, recognize
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
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