embrace
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take or clasp in the arms; press to the bosom; hug.
-
to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly.
to embrace an idea.
-
to avail oneself of.
to embrace an opportunity.
- Synonyms:
- seize
-
to adopt (a profession, a religion, etc.).
to embrace Buddhism.
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to take in with the eye or the mind.
-
to encircle; surround; enclose.
a secret garden embraced by wild shrubs.
-
to include or contain.
An encyclopedia embraces a great number of subjects.
- Antonyms:
- exclude
verb (used without object)
noun
verb (used with object)
verb
-
(also intr) (of a person) to take or clasp (another person) in the arms, or (of two people) to clasp each other, as in affection, greeting, etc; hug
-
to accept (an opportunity, challenge, etc) willingly or eagerly
-
to take up (a new idea, faith, etc); adopt
to embrace Judaism
-
to comprise or include as an integral part
geology embraces the science of mineralogy
-
to encircle or enclose
noun
-
the act of embracing
-
euphemistic (often plural) sexual intercourse
verb
Synonym Usage
See include.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of embrace1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French embracier, equivalent to em- em- 1 + bracier “to embrace,” derivative of brace “the two arms”; see brace
Origin of embrace2
First recorded in 1420–1475; late Middle English: “to influence, prejudice, bribe (a jury),” perhaps the same word as embrace 1
Explanation
To embrace something is to welcome it with open arms, hold, hug, accept completely. You might embrace your sweetheart, or even changes in technology. Embrace is from the French verb embrasser, which started out meaning "to clasp in the arms" (but now includes kissing). You embrace someone by giving her a giant hug, and when you embrace a new idea, it's like your brain gives it a hug. The noun and verb form are similar: If you embrace someone who isn't your sweetheart, you might get caught in an embrace. In Henry IV, Shakespeare writes about a really, really tight embrace: "I will embrace him with a soldier's arm/That he shall shrink under my courtesy."
Vocabulary lists containing embrace
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Of Mice and Men
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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.
See Examples For:
His message is that wellbeing is important to everyone, "it's just not enough of us embrace it".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Companies are pushing employees to embrace AI tools to do more with fewer people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Company-employee tensions frayed following Meta’s full-on embrace of AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
"Dr. Macauley has also taught me to embrace uncertainty and failure as part of the scientific process," Constantino said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
My dad gives me a big hug and then pulls Justin into his embrace too.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
And that’s because Lotus is the only production carmaker that truly embraces the slide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Pentagon officials have said they want to reduce reliance on individual tech companies as the military embraces AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Stokes remained composed after England's 160-run defeat, which confirms a 2-1 series loss, sharing embraces with his opposition and briefly waving to the crowd after his post-match interviews.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
This one embraces two of the South’s most cherished cornbread traditions: a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and bacon drippings.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
A blast of warmth and light embraces me the moment I step in.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
He has spent most of his life in South L.A., where he was embraced by his Black neighbors and schoolmates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
As he stuck his landing, his coach Jake Seager fell to his knees celebrating before the two embraced.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
“To see how Los Angeles has adopted me, embraced me, and shown me love, I’m going to feel like I’m home.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
When brilliant Spain teenager Lamine Yamal embraced a tearful Lionel Messi at the end of the World Cup final, it looked and felt symbolic.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The Greeks were different; they embraced the abstract and the philosophical, and brought mathematics to its highest point in ancient times.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Wealthy investors are embracing 351 exchanges that convert concentrated stockholdings into diversified funds without capital gains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Matt Damon is embracing a new chapter in life—and his carefully curated real estate portfolio reflects the family-first priorities that have guided him for years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
"It's about believing in yourself, embracing who you are and not allowing your appearance to define your ambitions."
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
His friends say Otero Alcantara is embracing his newfound freedom.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
The blank portion was limited, for the narrow strip was crowded by lines of text and a tiny picture of a hero and heroine embracing under a eucalyptus tree.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
