reception
Americannoun
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the act of receiving or state of being received
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the manner in which something, such as a guest or a new idea, is received
a cold reception
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a formal party for guests, such as one after a wedding
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an area in an office, hotel, etc, where visitors or guests are received and appointments or reservations dealt with
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short for reception room
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the quality or fidelity of a received radio or television broadcast
the reception was poor
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the first class in an infant school
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a class in a school designed to receive new immigrants, esp those whose knowledge of English is poor
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( as modifier )
a reception teacher
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of reception
1350–1400; Middle English recepcion < Latin receptiōn- (stem of receptiō ), equivalent to recept ( us ) (past participle of recipere to receive ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Reception is the act of receiving, or getting something, or the way it is received. If your book receives a positive reception, it means people receive it well. In other words, they like it. A reception can also be a party, such as a wedding reception. A reception area is an office waiting room where visitors are greeted and the receptionist sits. Reception can also refer to the quality of a broadcast signal, as received by a TV or radio. Good reception means a clear, strong signal, and poor reception means you might want to shake or kick the TV screen. A reception is also the act of catching the ball in American football.
Vocabulary lists containing reception
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
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Words Football Fans Can Master Easily
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"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry (1775)
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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.
Reception of the Luce styling and pricing is poor across every region, but early order intake feedback suggests it should meet the market’s volume expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The department has also opened a remodeled mental health assessment area at the Inmate Reception Center, the primary intake and release point for county inmates near Men’s Central Jail.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
Kindred polling suggests that 40% of parents think reducing screen time would help ensure their child is ready for Reception.
From BBC • Jan. 11, 2026
On Wednesday, the president obviously wanted to be anywhere other than the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room.
From Salon • Dec. 19, 2025
Kyle and his parents were in the crowded ballroom of the Parker House Hotel for the Lemoncello Library’s Gala Grand Opening Reception.
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
