received

American  

[ri-seevd] / rɪˈsivd /

adjective

1. generally or traditionally accepted; conventional; standard.

   a received moral idea.

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received British  

/ rɪˈsiːvd /

adjective

1. generally accepted or believed

   received wisdom

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• well-received
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of received

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; receive + -ed ²

Explanation

Received is an adjective that refers to something that is largely accepted as true or good. It’s also the past participle of the verb receive. If you rely on received wisdom, you might not ever come up with an original idea. Received, meaning “generally accepted as true or worthy,” was first recorded in the fifteenth century as the past participle adjective of receive, a verb meaning “accept.” So, that which has been accepted, has been received, or noted as correct or good. More specifically, received can be used to refer to established truths, like that failing to drink enough water can lead to dehydration. It's one of those words that actually follows the rule "i before e except after c."

Example Sentences

The research began almost 20 years ago when Quitterer received brain tissue samples from a colleague at Ain Shams University Hospital in Cairo.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

“I’m very grateful for the endless support I have received throughout this entire process. I am also grateful for the chance to rejoin my teammates,” Sorsby wrote in a statement posted Monday on Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

The Jersey-born netball gold medallist received more than 12,000 votes in total.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

In the first seven days, we received more than 35,000 applications for 1,000 openings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Miss Genovese nods in recognition; she received the message even if she didn’t return it.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• accepted
• acknowledged
• collected
• earned