receive
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take into one's possession (something offered or delivered).
to receive many gifts.
- Antonyms:
- give
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to have (something) bestowed, conferred, etc..
to receive an honorary degree.
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to have delivered or brought to one.
to receive a letter.
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to get or be informed of.
to receive instructions;
to receive news.
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to be burdened with; sustain.
to receive a heavy load.
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to hold, bear, or contain.
The nut receives a bolt and a washer.
The plaster receives the impression of the mold.
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to take into the mind; apprehend mentally.
to receive an idea.
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to accept from another by hearing or listening.
A priest received his confession.
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to meet with; experience.
to receive attention.
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to suffer the injury of.
He received a terrific blow on the forehead.
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to be at home to (visitors).
They received their neighbors on Sunday.
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to greet or welcome (guests, visitors, etc.) upon arriving.
They received us at the front door.
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to admit (a person) to a place.
The butler received him and asked him to wait in the drawing room.
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to admit into an organization, membership, etc..
to receive someone into the group.
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to accept as authoritative, valid, true, or approved.
a principle universally received.
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to react to in the manner specified.
to receive a proposal with contempt;
She received the job offer with joy.
verb (used without object)
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to receive something.
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to receive visitors or guests.
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Radio. to convert incoming electromagnetic waves into the original signal.
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to receive the Eucharist.
He receives every Sunday.
verb
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to take (something offered) into one's hand or possession
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to have (an honour, blessing, etc) bestowed
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to accept delivery or transmission of (a letter, telephone call, etc)
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to be informed of (news or information)
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to hear and consent to or acknowledge (an oath, confession, etc)
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(of a vessel or container) to take or hold (a substance, commodity, or certain amount)
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to support or sustain (the weight of something); bear
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to apprehend or perceive (ideas, etc)
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to experience, undergo, or meet with
to receive a crack on the skull
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(also intr) to be at home to (visitors)
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to greet or welcome (visitors or guests), esp in formal style
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to admit (a person) to a place, society, condition, etc
he was received into the priesthood
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to accept or acknowledge (a precept or principle) as true or valid
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to convert (incoming radio signals) into sounds, pictures, etc, by means of a receiver
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(also intr) tennis to play at the other end from the server; be required to return (service)
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(also intr) to partake of (the Christian Eucharist)
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(intr) to buy and sell stolen goods
Usage
Spelling tips for receive The word receive is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it can be hard to remember if the [ s] sound is spelled with a c or an s. Second, the order of the middle vowels can be tricky. Is it ei or ie? How to spell receive: When you receive something you want to C (see) it. This reminds you that it is spelled with a c, not an s. To remember the order of the vowels, keep in mind the classic mnemonic device: I before E except after C. Since receive is spelled with a C, the E goes before the I.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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interreceiveverb (used with object)
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prereceiveverb (used with object)
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nonreceivingadjective
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unreceivingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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receivesimple
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receivessimple
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have receivedperfect
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has receivedperfect
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am receivingprogressive
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are receivingprogressive
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is receivingprogressive
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have been receivingperfect progressive
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has been receivingperfect progressive
Past
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receivedsimple
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had receivedperfect
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was receivingprogressive
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were receivingprogressive
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had been receivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of receive
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English receven, from Old North French receivre, from Latin recipere, equivalent to re- re- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”
Explanation
Receive means to get or accept. On your birthday you might receive many presents. If you have a huge formal party that night, you'll stand in a receiving line, where you'll greet or receive your guests. Unless you're receiving bad news or a stiff reprimand, receive can be pretty great. If one of your gifts is a trip to a spa, you might receive the news with pleasure, and then, when you go to the spa, receive several treatments. And remember, receive is one of those words that you have to say, "I before E, except after C, or when sounding like A, as in neighbor or weigh," before knowing how to spell it.
Vocabulary lists containing receive
American Football, 1st Quarter
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 2
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
She describes it as "gut-wrenching" to receive the email from GVI at the start of the month.
From BBC • Jul. 11, 2026
America’s most elite colleges receive thousands of applications each year from brilliant high-schoolers all over the world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
A Homeland Security spokesperson said body cameras have been deployed to more than half of field offices and the remaining half should receive them in the next two months.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
If a retiree is not desperate for the income at 62, the common advice is to wait and receive higher payments later.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026
They will not receive these numbers, though, until I have landed.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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.
