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definitions

acknowledge

[ ak-nol-ij ]
/ ækˈnɒl ɪdʒ /
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verb (used with object), ac·knowl·edged, ac·knowl·edg·ing.

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Nearby words

  1. ack-emma,
  2. ack.,
  3. ackee,
  4. acker,
  5. ackey,
  6. acknowledged,
  7. acknowledgement,
  8. acknowledgment,
  9. ackton,
  10. acl

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 knouleche knowledge; then a- was mistaken for ac-
SYNONYMS FOR acknowledge
1 concede, confess, grant.
ANTONYMS FOR acknowledge
1 deny, disclaim, disavow.
Related forms

Synonym study

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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for acknowledgeable

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 Formsacknowledgeable, 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

Word Origin and History for acknowledgeable

acknowledge

v.

1550s, a blend of Middle English aknow (from Old English oncnawan "understand," from on + cnawan "recognize;" see know) and Middle English knowlechen "admit, acknowledge" (c.1200; see knowledge). In the merger, a parasitic -c- slipped in, so that while the kn- became a simple "n" sound (as in know), the -c- stepped up to preserve, in this word, the ancient "kn-" sound. Related: Acknowledged; acknowledging.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper