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Synonyms

acknowledge

American

[ak-nol-ij] / ækˈnɒl ɪdʒ /

verb (used with object)

to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of.

to acknowledge one's mistakes.

Synonyms:

grant, confess, concede

Antonyms:

disavow, disclaim, deny
to show or express recognition or realization of.

to acknowledge an acquaintance by nodding.
to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of.

The students acknowledged the authority of the student council.
to show or express appreciation or gratitude for.

to acknowledge a favor.
to indicate or make known the receipt of.

to acknowledge a letter.
to take notice of or reply to.

to acknowledge a greeting.
Law. to confirm as binding or of legal force.

to acknowledge a deed.

acknowledge British

/ əkˈnɒlɪdʒ /

verb

(may take a clause as object) to recognize or admit the existence, truth, or reality of
to indicate recognition or awareness of, as by a greeting, glance, etc
to express appreciation or thanks for

to acknowledge a gift
to make the receipt of known to the sender

to acknowledge a letter
to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Acknowledge, admit, confess agree in the idea of declaring something to be true. Acknowledge implies making a statement reluctantly, often about something previously denied: to acknowledge a fault. Admit especially implies acknowledging something under pressure: to admit a charge. Confess usually means stating somewhat formally an admission of wrongdoing, crime, or shortcoming: to confess guilt; to confess an inability to understand.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of acknowledge

First recorded in 1475–85; late Middle English acknowleche, apparently either Middle English aknou(en) “to recognize” + -leche, noun suffix, variant of -lac; or a blend of aknouen and knouleche knowledge; then a- was mistaken for ac-

Explanation

To show that you know something is to acknowledge it. Waving "hello" to acknowledge a friend and nodding your head "yes" to acknowledge that you agree with what's being said are both acts showing knowledge or acceptance of someone or something. Dictionaries acknowledge that the word acknowledge has roots in the 15th and 16th centuries and is a combination of roots meaning "accord," "recognize," and "understand." Whereas "knowledge" is what you know, acknowledging is showing that you know. You might acknowledge that the world is round and that the moon is not made of cheese. You also can acknowledge, or give recognition, to the people who discovered these truths.

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Vocabulary lists containing acknowledge

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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:

acknowledge acknowledges acknowledged acknowledging

Iran did not acknowledge being responsible, but shipping analysts have said it was likely to have been behind the Minoan Pioneer attack on 3 August.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The regulator, which received two complaints about the broadcast, said the "very significant inaccuracy" and the "considerable length of time" taken to acknowledge the error breached two of its rules.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

The court, though, did acknowledge that social media also has benefits and didn’t go as far as ordering Meta to change its algorithm and recommendations because it affects content on the platform.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

More and more, people in my daily life were showing up looking completely different, and to not acknowledge that at all made me feel a little crazy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Our claims to knowledge, Montaigne said, are generally misconceived because we will not acknowledge our limits as human beings.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

A spokesperson for Toney said: "Ivan acknowledges the charge and although he is naturally shocked, he looks forward to being given the opportunity to clear his name in court."

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

“My whole trajectory doesn’t make a lot of sense on paper,” he acknowledges.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

While TJ acknowledges her family is fortunate enough to afford it, she says the sticker shock from inflation is real — and it’s changing how she shops for everyday essentials.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Augenbraun acknowledges that all this preparation can take away some of the pleasure of being outdoors and that, ultimately, awareness may simply be the best defense we have at our disposal.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

She acknowledges his presence with a single, subtle nod.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

The Navy has acknowledged mental health cases but disputed reports that the ship is experiencing a broader crisis.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

The Navy has said that the ship isn’t experiencing an uptick in mental-health issues, and Cao acknowledged “a small number of mental-health cases were treated with no loss of life.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Iger acknowledged it is too soon to articulate a strategic plan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Australia was the first country to introduce last December a social media ban for those under-16, although it is widely acknowledged that many in the country continue to use the platforms.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The underlying assumption of this position was most openly acknowledged by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of South Carolina—namely, that “South Carolina and Georgia cannot do without slaves.”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Burnham promised to convene a summit with fire services, acknowledging the government had not supplied enough resources to deal with wildfires.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

By using only part of the original painting and omitting the mission, I’m reclaiming space for Black and brown spirituality while acknowledging that this land existed long before colonization.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

They told her to take down the post and asked her to sign a letter acknowledging she had been informed that she “may” have violated federal law with her social-media account.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

"It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth," Wilson wrote, while also acknowledging that Sir Christopher 's work had sparked renewed interest in Homer's classic.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

During his remarks, Wilson looked up and appeared to read the banner, but he continued with his speech without acknowledging it.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023