acknowledgment
Americannoun
-
acknowledgments
plural
-
an act of acknowledging.
-
recognition of the existence or truth of something.
the acknowledgment of a sovereign power.
-
an expression of appreciation.
-
a thing done or given in appreciation or gratitude.
-
Law.
-
a declaration before an official that one has executed a particular legal document.
-
an official certificate of a formal acknowledging.
-
public recognition by a man of an illegitimate child as his own.
-
noun
-
the act of acknowledging or state of being acknowledged
-
something done or given as an expression of thanks, as a reply to a message, etc
-
(plural) an author's statement acknowledging his use of the works of other authors, usually printed at the front of a book
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of acknowledgment
First recorded in 1585–95; acknowledge + -ment
Explanation
When you recognize or admit the truth of something, you make an acknowledgment. Your grumpy friend who never gets enough sleep? He needs to make an acknowledgment of what his late nights are doing to his mood. Other kinds of acknowledgments give credit where it's due. Research papers that quote other people's words or ideas contain acknowledgments that name the source. Publicly thanking someone is another kind of acknowledgment. Award winners at the Oscars and other ceremonies often rattle off a big list of names, acknowledgement for their contribution to the winner's success.
Vocabulary lists containing acknowledgment
Lesson 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Amigo Brothers" and "Lean on Me"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Tale of Despereaux
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
In organizing this porchfest, there are acknowledgment statements for both musicians and homeowners who permit the use of their property.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Love is an acknowledgment, a kind of sight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Plagiarism can be defined as the appropriation of someone else’s words or ideas without acknowledgment or compensation.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Absent was any acknowledgment of the strain placed on those trying to help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Marshall winced in acknowledgment of his error, and leaned toward the twins.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
“He is in every meaningful sense the paper’s human co-author,” Claude wrote in the acknowledgments section.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Kennedy halted the FDA-backed proposal that would have restricted sunlamp products to users 18 and older and required warning acknowledgments about cancer risks.
From Salon ● May 9, 2026
Even among the analysts who reaffirmed a buy or buy-equivalent rating following Oracle’s print, there were acknowledgments of heightened risk.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 11, 2025
A few of these reports have included amusing “to be sure” paragraphs, to use trade lingo: brief acknowledgments of some contrary argument or analogous trend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
I told Great-great-aunt Florentine I’d give her credit in the acknowledgments.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
