embrace
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take or clasp in the arms; press to the bosom; hug.
-
to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly.
to embrace an idea.
-
to avail oneself of.
to embrace an opportunity.
- Synonyms:
- seize
-
to adopt (a profession, a religion, etc.).
to embrace Buddhism.
-
to take in with the eye or the mind.
-
to encircle; surround; enclose.
a secret garden embraced by wild shrubs.
-
to include or contain.
An encyclopedia embraces a great number of subjects.
- Antonyms:
- exclude
verb (used without object)
noun
-
embraces
plural
verb (used with object)
verb
-
(also intr) (of a person) to take or clasp (another person) in the arms, or (of two people) to clasp each other, as in affection, greeting, etc; hug
-
to accept (an opportunity, challenge, etc) willingly or eagerly
-
to take up (a new idea, faith, etc); adopt
to embrace Judaism
-
to comprise or include as an integral part
geology embraces the science of mineralogy
-
to encircle or enclose
noun
-
the act of embracing
-
euphemistic (often plural) sexual intercourse
verb
Synonym Usage
See include.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of embrace1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French embracier, equivalent to em- em- 1 + bracier “to embrace,” derivative of brace “the two arms”; see brace
Origin of embrace2
First recorded in 1420–1475; late Middle English: “to influence, prejudice, bribe (a jury),” perhaps the same word as embrace 1
Explanation
To embrace something is to welcome it with open arms, hold, hug, accept completely. You might embrace your sweetheart, or even changes in technology. Embrace is from the French verb embrasser, which started out meaning "to clasp in the arms" (but now includes kissing). You embrace someone by giving her a giant hug, and when you embrace a new idea, it's like your brain gives it a hug. The noun and verb form are similar: If you embrace someone who isn't your sweetheart, you might get caught in an embrace. In Henry IV, Shakespeare writes about a really, really tight embrace: "I will embrace him with a soldier's arm/That he shall shrink under my courtesy."
Vocabulary lists containing embrace
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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:
Online merchants face a difficult decision, though: Do they embrace outside agents in hopes of a sales boost, or do they resist them?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Hilton earned a reputation as eccentric but savvy, pushing the Conservative Party to embrace same-sex marriage and more climate-friendly policies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The former president "needs to be free to embrace the people," Alfredo Gaspar, Flavio Bolsonaro's running mate, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Aaron says he tries to embrace the darker times that come with his grief.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
It was a long time before he was free to come away with us, so many people wanted to embrace him, to shake his hand and thump his back.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Herman’s latest exhibition at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Hollywood, “California Poppies,” embraces the same logic of experimentation and assemblage found in his home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Yet where most versions of Alexander have their particular emphasis, Edmund Richardson’s outstanding “Alexander: God, King, Man” embraces his complexity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The kitchen, meanwhile, embraces classic New York City style with dark wood cabinetry, ample storage, and modern appliances.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
"Imagine a grandfather who silently embraces you every day, listens to you, and has always been strong and full of life," she says.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Christina hunches over, unable to support her own grief, and Cara embraces her, and all I’m doing is standing still.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Born Robert Francis Prevost on Chicago's South Side in 1955, the 71-year-old pontiff is the first American-born pope and has been warmly embraced by US Catholics since he was elected last May.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
That desire for privacy appears to align with the quieter lifestyle Carrey has embraced away from Hollywood in recent years.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Old Street chairman Will Gilgrass said both Kelce and Allen really embraced the whole opportunity.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Does being embraced by the Nashville industry feel like a reasonable goal?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
With sudden urgency, women embraced husbands and sweethearts who worked beside them at Phillips.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
For Netflix, that means looking outside of its once-unimpeachable red walls and embracing more reluctant partnerships with rivals, while cutting costs and overhauling old practices wherever possible.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
At one point during his talk, an image flashed on the screen behind him of its Muse mascot embracing a blue padlock.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The airline announced Thursday that it plans to expand its rollout of Starlink internet to its entire mainline fleet, embracing the fast wi-fi that has become a popular passenger perk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
But some are embracing another option — rent where you live and buy where you can.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
That fall, she attended her first women’s rights convention, finally embracing the central importance of suffrage.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
