reception

American  

[ri-sep-shuhn] / rɪˈsɛp ʃən /

noun

• receptions
  plural

1. the act of receiving or the state of being received.

2. a manner of being received.

   The book met with a favorable reception.

   Synonyms:

   treatment, reaction, response

3. a function or occasion when persons are formally received.

   a wedding reception.

4. the quality or fidelity attained in receiving radio or television broadcasts under given circumstances.

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reception British  

/ rɪˈsɛpʃən /

noun

1. the act of receiving or state of being received

2. the manner in which something, such as a guest or a new idea, is received

   a cold reception

3. a formal party for guests, such as one after a wedding

4. an area in an office, hotel, etc, where visitors or guests are received and appointments or reservations dealt with

5. short for reception room

6. the quality or fidelity of a received radio or television broadcast

   the reception was poor

7. 1. the first class in an infant school

   2. a class in a school designed to receive new immigrants, esp those whose knowledge of English is poor

   3. ( as modifier )

      a reception teacher

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreception
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• receptions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reception

1350–1400; Middle English recepcion < Latin receptiōn- (stem of receptiō ), equivalent to recept ( us ) (past participle of recipere to receive ) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Reception is the act of receiving, or getting something, or the way it is received. If your book receives a positive reception, it means people receive it well. In other words, they like it. A reception can also be a party, such as a wedding reception. A reception area is an office waiting room where visitors are greeted and the receptionist sits. Reception can also refer to the quality of a broadcast signal, as received by a TV or radio. Good reception means a clear, strong signal, and poor reception means you might want to shake or kick the TV screen. A reception is also the act of catching the ball in American football.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reception receptions

As if the fourth quarter weren’t wild enough, the Gaels regained the lead with 6:49 left on a 54-yard touchdown reception by Corey Hinton.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Two years later, in 2023, he presented it again to a very different reception.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

“The reception was overly optimistic and creates expectations that we believe will be difficult to meet,” Graybosch wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

That must be a relief for longtime DC Comics fans, given its emergence on the heels of the lukewarm critical and audience reception for “Supergirl.”

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Gum Baby and Thandiwe snickered, and I couldn’t respond, because we were in the reception hall.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

KeAndre Lambert-Smith had four of the Chargers’ nine receptions in the first half, but a fifth would have been really impressive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Nacua led all NFL receivers with 129 receptions in 2025.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

One, who would go on to play at the University of Iowa, eventually tallied 46 receptions and 962 yards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

This includes core staff costs, running expenses of the King's official household including receptions, maintenance of palaces in England and travel costs for royal engagements.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

From this point on, he suggested, they should meet only at public receptions, places they both had a reason to be.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• encounter
• gathering
• greeting
• meeting
• reaction
• receiving
• response
• welcome