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
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.
A lukewarm market reception for an early OpenAI listing, which seems plausible given the steady drumbeat of dysfunction at the Sam Altman-led company, could force Anthropic to delay or scale back.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
They got a warm reception as they did their walkabout later on.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
In an age of “nepo” accusations and internet dogpiles, it would be completely understandable for Grohl to feel anxious about her album’s reception.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
A.I. has been a key motif of Leo’s nascent papacy, from early speeches to advisory groups to the reception of tech execs who’ve approached the holy man on their own.
From Slate • May 28, 2026
The next morning, the three of them waited in the reception area of the Gallup Indian Medical Center.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
