acquiesce
Americanverb (used without object)
-
acquiesces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
acquiesced,
past participle, past
-
acquiescing
present participle
verb
Usage
The use of to after acquiesce was formerly regarded as incorrect, but is now acceptable
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
acquiescencenoun
-
acquiescentadjective
-
nonacquiescingadjective
-
acquiescentlyadverb
-
acquiescinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
acquiescesimple
-
acquiescessimple
-
have acquiescedperfect
-
has acquiescedperfect
-
am acquiescingprogressive
-
are acquiescingprogressive
-
is acquiescingprogressive
-
have been acquiescingperfect progressive
-
has been acquiescingperfect progressive
Past
-
acquiescedsimple
-
had acquiescedperfect
-
was acquiescingprogressive
-
were acquiescingprogressive
-
had been acquiescingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of acquiesce
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin acquiēscere “to find rest in, ” equivalent to ac- ac- + quiē- + -sc- inchoative suffix + -ere infinitive suffix
Explanation
To acquiesce is to agree to something or to give in. If your kid sister is refusing to hand over the television remote, you hope she acquiesces before your favorite show comes on. The verb acquiesce comes from the Latin word acquiescere, meaning “to rest.” If you “rest” or become passive in the face of something to which you object, you are giving tacit agreement. In other words, you acquiesce. If you want to go hiking with your family and your children are not interested, it will be a very tough day on the trail until they acquiesce.
Vocabulary lists containing acquiesce
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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 Declaration of Independence
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:
I’d rather be called a prude than acquiesce to society’s slow drift into vice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
If she knows you are willing to acquiesce to such a significant demand, it will be unlikely to end there.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026
"You will be the same person that will castigate us if we acquiesce to accepting Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria," he added.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2025
They refuse to give up their own potential or acquiesce to a narrative that portrays their strengths as weaknesses, so they succeed in manifesting a treasure that nobody even thought was real.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
I could not but acquiesce, for I was “dog-tired,” and could not have sat up had I tried.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
He will hope the new leader acquiesces to his plea to be allowed to remain in the job until next May.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026
“Their relationship is interesting, because the second that Olivia is around her big sister in person, she actually acquiesces to her,” Olagundoye says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2024
My son acquiesces to her to avoid arguments.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 15, 2022
For now, the feline acquiesces; I head toward the kitchen.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2021
All this makes her the more reluctant to part with him; but, as it is for a throne, she acquiesces.
From Aurelian or, Rome in the Third Century by William Ware
Had you written to me before you acquiesced, I would have told you to pay it, but beware of this behavior going forward.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The Motion Picture Association and the U.S. ambassador to Canada had pressed the country to change the policy, and the government acquiesced late Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
It has just acquiesced to the status quo until it can decide.
From Slate ● May 5, 2026
That means U.S. air operations could expand Japan’s involvement, if Tokyo acquiesced.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025
“No,” he acquiesced: “I heard it had happened very lately. I was rather on the lookout for good fortune then.”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
You did not fall in line, and your brother was rewarded for acquiescing, even if he did have his own agenda.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Big banks have already been acquiescing to Musk’s unusual demands, including paying up front for Grok subscriptions, thus juicing SpaceX’s flagging A.I. revenue.
From Slate ● May 15, 2026
Although Red Bull had already decided to ditch Perez, he was reluctant to leave and his management sought the best possible compensation agreement before acquiescing.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2024
Next, is kowtowing, accommodating and acquiescing to the whims and ego of that aging superstar or find yourself gone before your tenure is up.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2024
By acquiescing in an act that can cause such suffering to a living creature, who among us is not diminished as a human being?
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions 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.
