acknowledge
Americanverb (used with object)
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to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of.
to acknowledge one's mistakes.
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to show or express recognition or realization of.
to acknowledge an acquaintance by nodding.
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to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of.
The students acknowledged the authority of the student council.
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to show or express appreciation or gratitude for.
to acknowledge a favor.
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to indicate or make known the receipt of.
to acknowledge a letter.
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to take notice of or reply to.
to acknowledge a greeting.
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Law. to confirm as binding or of legal force.
to acknowledge a deed.
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to recognize or admit the existence, truth, or reality of
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to indicate recognition or awareness of, as by a greeting, glance, etc
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to express appreciation or thanks for
to acknowledge a gift
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to make the receipt of known to the sender
to acknowledge a letter
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to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of
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
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acknowledgernoun
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preacknowledgeverb (used with object)
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reacknowledgeverb (used with object)
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acknowledgeableadjective
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unacknowledgingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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acknowledgesimple
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acknowledgessimple
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have acknowledgedperfect
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has acknowledgedperfect
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am acknowledgingprogressive
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are acknowledgingprogressive
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is acknowledgingprogressive
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have been acknowledgingperfect progressive
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has been acknowledgingperfect progressive
Past
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acknowledgedsimple
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had acknowledgedperfect
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was acknowledgingprogressive
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were acknowledgingprogressive
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had been acknowledgingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing acknowledge
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 1
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Nothing But the Truth
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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:
I said something like: “Please don’t go home. Your child needs oxygen. She has pneumonia. We will figure out a way to pay for this, because we acknowledge what we do is expensive.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"As African countries, we have to acknowledge and address the conditions that drive migration in the first place," Ramaphosa told a session of the parliament, which is the legislative body of the African Union.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Even sociologists acknowledge that students are often drawn to the major because they’re afraid of math or are sold on sociology as a means to activism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
At this point it’s worth stepping back to acknowledge the strangeness of all this.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
It is not simply a matter of refusing to acknowledge an obvious, though uncomfortable, truth.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
But, as she later acknowledges, “women have always scared me more than men, because the pain they’ve caused me always goes so much deeper, and because I take them so much more seriously.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The criticism surrounding Fire Point has had at least one tangible consequence, she acknowledges: some projects with foreign partners were delayed for several months for additional compliance procedures.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
He acknowledges it has received insurance industry sponsorships in the past.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Bailey acknowledges AI is raising new challenges, but he’s optimistic it can help job seekers and employers when used well.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
She acknowledges his presence with a single, subtle nod.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
“We don’t really see many well dogs,” the London native acknowledged during a visit last year when he found Cosmo was in the early stages of kidney disease.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
She said she was committed to looking at the issue, although acknowledged she "can't make any promises" about changes.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The staff acknowledged that patients who received and benefited from RP1 lived a median of 30.6 months without cancer progressing, versus 4.4 months on their prior immunotherapy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Senior officials who had overseen the subpoenas’ issuance acknowledged to an outraged Judge Arun Subramanian that the subpoenas were riddled with errors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I know which nature trail you saw me on, Jonah. I saw you, too. We were three feet away from each other, not that you acknowledged me.”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
The persistent security challenges point to a failing system, but the arrest of Yusuf shows the military is – at the very least – acknowledging that the problem exists within its own ranks.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
He responded by touting the companies’ “overlap” and collaboration, before acknowledging that he can’t discuss corporate combinations on an earnings call and allowing Tesla’s general counsel to step in.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns Monticello and runs its public educational programs, gradually came around to acknowledging the full subjecthood of Sally Hemings, to the chagrin of some visitors.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
Despite acknowledging subtle differences with Lindsey—“I have my own way of doing things,” she wrote in a note to constituents last week—she has emphasized that they shared the “same values.”
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
I could see he was moved by my acknowledging them.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
