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Synonyms

acknowledge

American

[ak-nol-ij] / ækˈnɒl ɪdʒ /

verb (used with object)

to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of.

to acknowledge one's mistakes.

Synonyms:

grant, confess, concede

Antonyms:

disavow, disclaim, deny
to show or express recognition or realization of.

to acknowledge an acquaintance by nodding.
to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of.

The students acknowledged the authority of the student council.
to show or express appreciation or gratitude for.

to acknowledge a favor.
to indicate or make known the receipt of.

to acknowledge a letter.
to take notice of or reply to.

to acknowledge a greeting.
Law. to confirm as binding or of legal force.

to acknowledge a deed.

acknowledge British

/ əkˈnɒlɪdʒ /

verb

(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 for

to acknowledge a gift
to make the receipt of known to the sender

to acknowledge a letter
to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of

"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

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of acknowledge

First recorded in 1475–85; late Middle English acknowleche, apparently either Middle English aknou(en) “to recognize” + -leche, noun suffix, variant of -lac; or a blend of aknouen and knouleche knowledge; then a- was mistaken for ac-

Explanation

To show that you know something is to acknowledge it. Waving "hello" to acknowledge a friend and nodding your head "yes" to acknowledge that you agree with what's being said are both acts showing knowledge or acceptance of someone or something. Dictionaries acknowledge that the word acknowledge has roots in the 15th and 16th centuries and is a combination of roots meaning "accord," "recognize," and "understand." Whereas "knowledge" is what you know, acknowledging is showing that you know. You might acknowledge that the world is round and that the moon is not made of cheese. You also can acknowledge, or give recognition, to the people who discovered these truths.

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Vocabulary lists containing acknowledge

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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:

acknowledge acknowledges acknowledged acknowledging

Nice of him to acknowledge the table stakes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

“This era is over, but it’s hard to acknowledge from a pricing perspective.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

But executives had softened their tone by mid-September and went further to acknowledge the leverage that its unionized workers hold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

These shifts "will result in fewer roles across Nike, and I want to acknowledge that news like this creates uncertainty," said Hill, who promised "transparency" as the plans become clearer.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Partly because I’m too confused to acknowledge it, but also because I don’t understand what “it” is.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Tony Pasquariello acknowledges the trading environment is “certainly not uncomplicated” but still reckons the underlying trend is higher and the S&P 500 benchmark will end 2026 higher than it is today.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Gibney acknowledges that he doesn’t know what Musk meant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

In “Lanterns,” Stewart creates his own version that acknowledges his journey and perspective on becoming a Green Lantern.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Even France, long associated with an assertive version of laïcité, now acknowledges that religious belief remains integral to human dignity, moral reflection and civic life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Forty minutes go by before anyone acknowledges my presence with more than a harried nod.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Patel acknowledged that maybe another approach would have landed him a first date sooner, and later in the interview hinted that a proposal was on the horizon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Schmidt has acknowledged that his words and gesture "were inappropriate and capable of causing offence and hurt", adding that the clip was recorded at a private gathering and "not intended for the public".

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

In her sentencing remarks, the judge acknowledged the "devastating" impact of the crime on Broadhurst's family, and added that he was "a hard-working and decent man who was deeply loved".

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

At Nike, the company acknowledged that the coming job reductions will create uncertainty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

“Is it true we’ve lost the women’s volleyball team?” she asked as soon as Mrs. Torrance acknowledged her.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

OpenAI disclosed over the weekend that its agents had also reached the websites of three US federal agencies, after acknowledging last week that they had tried to access an Australian government site.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

A narrow focus on Europe’s problems without acknowledging its strengths is making businesses wary, pushing households to build savings and putting Europe’s economic future at risk, according to ING’s chief economist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Rob Pelinka, the president of basketball operations, starts the Thursday media session expressing gratitude to James while acknowledging excitement about the future.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday said "no stone will be left unturned" to solve the killings, acknowledging "these incidents are causing fear and uncertainty in our communities, and especially among women".

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

Our understanding of the word ‘modern’, when talking about science, thus still corresponds to theirs, and their use of the term ‘the modern’ is their way of acknowledging what we call the Scientific Revolution.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023