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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

Words related to acknowledge

accept, agree, defend, endorse, recognize, support, concede, confess, declare, profess, address, answer, hail, notice, reply, respond, accede, acquiesce, allow, approve

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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