Showing Results for "received"

See Also:

• past tense form of receive.
• past participle of receive.

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

After receiving his PhD and completing a postdoctoral program, Armin was in between jobs when he received a research grant in November.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

Three people told The Times they accepted a couple dollars to sign, with one saying he signed multiple signatures using various names and received $10.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

Four days later, Miten received a call in the morning from police in London.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the national organization received 50% of its funding from the federal government.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Mr. Palmer asked for and received directions to the high school.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Related Words

• accepted
• acknowledged
• collected
• earned