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

• 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

He also received a social media message from Stafford’s wife, Kelly, inviting him and his family to reach out if they need anything.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said last month that the company had restarted manufacturing External link of its H200 processors for sale in China and that it had received orders from many customers.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

In the scam uncovered by the Justice Department, victims received cold calls from individuals posing as staff of large U.S. banks, warning them that their accounts had been used to buy firearms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

One retort I’ve received when recently presenting this performance data is that the non-U.S. stocks’ lead must trace to a declining U.S. dollar, which would boost the dollar-denominated return of foreign stocks.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

“That is what I asked as well. Always I received the same answer. ‘The hunt is on.’

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• accepted
• acknowledged
• collected
• earned