Synonyms

receive

American

[ri-seev] / rɪˈsiv /

verb (used with object)

to take into one's possession (something offered or delivered).

to receive many gifts.

Antonyms:

give
to have (something) bestowed, conferred, etc..

to receive an honorary degree.
to have delivered or brought to one.

to receive a letter.
to get or be informed of.

to receive instructions;
to receive news.
to be burdened with; sustain.

to receive a heavy load.
to hold, bear, or contain.

The nut receives a bolt and a washer.
The plaster receives the impression of the mold.
to take into the mind; apprehend mentally.

to receive an idea.
to accept from another by hearing or listening.

A priest received his confession.
to meet with; experience.

to receive attention.
to suffer the injury of.

He received a terrific blow on the forehead.
to be at home to (visitors).

They received their neighbors on Sunday.

Synonyms:

welcome, entertain, admit
to greet or welcome (guests, visitors, etc.) upon arriving.

They received us at the front door.
to admit (a person) to a place.

The butler received him and asked him to wait in the drawing room.
to admit into an organization, membership, etc..

to receive someone into the group.
to accept as authoritative, valid, true, or approved.

a principle universally received.
to react to in the manner specified.

to receive a proposal with contempt;
She received the job offer with joy.

verb (used without object)

to receive something.
to receive visitors or guests.
Radio. to convert incoming electromagnetic waves into the original signal.
to receive the Eucharist.

He receives every Sunday.

receive British

/ rɪˈsiːv /

verb

to take (something offered) into one's hand or possession
to have (an honour, blessing, etc) bestowed
to accept delivery or transmission of (a letter, telephone call, etc)
to be informed of (news or information)
to hear and consent to or acknowledge (an oath, confession, etc)
(of a vessel or container) to take or hold (a substance, commodity, or certain amount)
to support or sustain (the weight of something); bear
to apprehend or perceive (ideas, etc)
to experience, undergo, or meet with

to receive a crack on the skull
(also intr) to be at home to (visitors)
to greet or welcome (visitors or guests), esp in formal style
to admit (a person) to a place, society, condition, etc

he was received into the priesthood
to accept or acknowledge (a precept or principle) as true or valid
to convert (incoming radio signals) into sounds, pictures, etc, by means of a receiver
(also intr) tennis to play at the other end from the server; be required to return (service)
(also intr) to partake of (the Christian Eucharist)
(intr) to buy and sell stolen goods

"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

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing receive

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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:

receive receives received receiving

Of the 10 most populous states, Texas and New York confirmed that they provide security for their attorneys general, while Florida law allows its top lawyer to receive a detail upon request.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

She is continuing to receive medical care at the prison.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Pike "is continuing to receive medical care at the prison, and we will continue to track her recovery," the lawyers said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

Because of this, when university administrators discipline fraternities, they often receive pushback from otherwise loyal and generous alumni.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

I don’t know when you will receive this.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

A spokesman said: "We are committed to ensuring everyone beginning their military career receives the highest standards of training, welfare and support in a safe and professional environment."

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Limited health literacy, unreliable transportation, difficulty navigating a complicated healthcare system, lack of childcare, and unstable housing can all determine whether a new mother receives needed care or goes without it.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Eli Lilly’s experimental cancer treatment, olomorasib, receives orphan drug designation from the Food and Drug Administration.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

Title IX refers to the 1972 civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination, and it applies to any school that receives federal financial assistance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

My stomach knots each time I look at Pa’s face as he receives the food from Kim.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

Its public vision of care has not always been received as universally inclusive.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

The same investigators received requests last week to recover a dozen Ram trucks tracked to Sinaloa and seven more in Durango state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

The third group received glucose first, with olive oil administered 15 minutes afterward.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

"A few months after the photographs were published I received a letter out of the blue from the United States Embassy in London," he recalled.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

In another building I received a day’s bread ration and food coupons for three additional days.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

It said many trees planted in the borough were dying within a year as a result of not receiving the right aftercare.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

Sometimes they learn about the annuities after receiving postcards in the mail inviting them to free lunches or dinners where they are pitched the products, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

Rather than a black hole or neutron star collecting matter, an ordinary low-mass star is receiving material from a nearby brown dwarf.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

A resident of one of the buildings that was hit, who identified herself as Iryna, 69, said she just had time to seek refuge in the toilets after receiving an air raid warning.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

He was immensely popular, receiving so many fist bumps as they walked down the halls it was a wonder his knuckles didn’t bleed.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

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