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Synonyms

receptivity

American  
[ree-sep-tiv-i-tee] / ˌri sɛpˈtɪv ɪ ti /
Also receptiveness

noun

  1. ability, willingness, or quickness to receive or accept ideas, requests, experiences, etc..

    The realization of our educational objectives relies on the cooperation of parents, the commitment and competence of teachers, and the receptivity of students.

  2. readiness of something to receive something else.

    When an embryo is ready for implantation, the procedure is carefully timed to coincide with the window of maximal receptivity in the uterus.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of receptivity

receptiv(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Explanation

Your receptivity is your ability and willingness to take in information or ideas. An audience's receptivity to a stand up comedian helps to make her performance a success. The noun receptivity is useful for describing someone's openness, especially to new ideas or different opinions. An interviewer's receptivity makes it clear that he's really listening to what a job applicant is saying, and the receptivity of movie audiences can result in laughter, applause, and big money made at the box office. The Latin root word of both receptivity and receive is recipere, "bring back, recover, take in, or admit."

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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.

What made Haynes different from many of his contemporaries, however, was his constant musical receptivity and adaptability.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2024

Measuring the receptivity of stigmas, a necessary element for pollination, overlapped with the highest number of beetles found visiting the flowers.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2024

But health officials privately worry about limited funds, worn-out front-line health workers and the dwindling receptivity of many Americans to covid precautions.

From Washington Post • Oct. 26, 2022

Just that prevailing economic conditions and something in Uruguay’s character had afforded the transition more receptivity than anyone predicted.

From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2022

I was now with boys and girls who were studying, fighting, talking; it revitalized my being, whipped my senses to a high, keen pitch of receptivity.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

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