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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonacceptance
  noun
• preacceptance
  noun
• reacceptance
  noun
• self-acceptance
  noun
• unacceptance
  noun
• proacceptance
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• acceptances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of acceptance

First recorded in 1565–75; accept + -ance

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

The system also uses materials with prior regulatory acceptance, a feature intended to make eventual clinical translation more practical.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

“The Mythos moment translated into mass-market acceptance that AI adoption needs security.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Dolly’s messages of affirmation and acceptance were pivotal for scores of queer Appalachians and Southerners.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

Of course, a country twang and queer acceptance can go hand in hand, and often do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

I decided to make a note of that sacrifice so that I could reference it in my future poignant Oscar acceptance speech.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

The British retail company, founded by Mike Ashley, said Tuesday that it received acceptances for 12.2 million Hugo Boss shares, or about 17.62% of the German company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Total gross impaired loans and acceptances were C$6.94 billion, an increase from C$6.86 billion in the prior quarter, due to higher impaired loans in Canadian personal and commercial banking, mainly in residential mortgages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

Ucas says universities have made more offers this year, which it says "typically translates into more acceptances".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2025

In 2024, Burke went 0 for 28 in film festival acceptances, which made him question if “Burt” might be the final chapter of his career instead of a launching pad.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2025

He wrote and telephoned dozens of acceptances to invitations to speak, predominantly at colleges and universities—both to expound his philosophies and to earn the $150-$300 honorariums above traveling expenses.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

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