acknowledge
Americanverb (used with object)
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acknowledges,
present (3rd person singular)
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acknowledged,
past participle, past
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acknowledging
present participle
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to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of.
to acknowledge one's mistakes.
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to show or express recognition or realization of.
to acknowledge an acquaintance by nodding.
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to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of.
The students acknowledged the authority of the student council.
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to show or express appreciation or gratitude for.
to acknowledge a favor.
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to indicate or make known the receipt of.
to acknowledge a letter.
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to take notice of or reply to.
to acknowledge a greeting.
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Law. to confirm as binding or of legal force.
to acknowledge a deed.
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to recognize or admit the existence, truth, or reality of
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to indicate recognition or awareness of, as by a greeting, glance, etc
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to express appreciation or thanks for
to acknowledge a gift
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to make the receipt of known to the sender
to acknowledge a letter
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to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of
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
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acknowledgernoun
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preacknowledgeverb (used with object)
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reacknowledgeverb (used with object)
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acknowledgeableadjective
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unacknowledgingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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acknowledgesimple
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acknowledgessimple
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have acknowledgedperfect
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has acknowledgedperfect
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am acknowledgingprogressive
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are acknowledgingprogressive
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is acknowledgingprogressive
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have been acknowledgingperfect progressive
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has been acknowledgingperfect progressive
Past
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acknowledgedsimple
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had acknowledgedperfect
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was acknowledgingprogressive
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were acknowledgingprogressive
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had been acknowledgingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing acknowledge
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 1
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Nothing But the Truth
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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:
"It is with great esteem that I wish to acknowledge Your Excellency's strong leadership in guiding your country toward national prosperity with the spirit of a true patriot."
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
“But it was true bravery the Dakota exhibited in giving this to us. Where would we be if we could collectively acknowledge the harm we’ve done?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
“There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Most players involved were forced to acknowledge the whole story had been nonsense.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
“There is,” I tell her, but she doesn’t even acknowledge that I spoke.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
It acknowledges there was little choice to introduce bans on visitors at the start of the pandemic, saying that was rational.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
The bank acknowledges that the source of strain is entirely distinct among these cohorts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Felipe taught himself how to program as a teenager and is developing his own game, although he acknowledges that working in Cuba throws up constant obstacles.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
The author, a former editor of Jacobin magazine, acknowledges his lack of objectivity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
"True," he acknowledges, clasping his hands behind his back.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
The Supreme Court has long acknowledged a religious institution’s right to govern itself and determine its membership.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
During their acceptance remarks, the Nobel laureates acknowledged Glaeser's contributions.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
In an official response to the complaint, seen by BBC News, the health board acknowledged Flora's family was affected by comments made by the palliative care team that were perceived as "insensitive".
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
“They’re not asking Taking Back Sunday this stuff,” Dangerfield acknowledged when asked if they might tire of the representation mantle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
I began thinking about what would happen if we all just acknowledged our brokenness, if we owned up to our weaknesses, our deficits, our biases, our fears.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
But acknowledging a property’s cheesy elements isn’t the same as generating consistent laughs from the situation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Warsh focused on the surge in investment thanks to artificial intelligence while acknowledging that inflation was elevated.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The other option is to shift the recipient of the compliment by acknowledging the help of others by adding, “Our local suppliers are a big help,” or “It was a pleasure to serve you.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
"We're the best state in America," he said before acknowledging: "But success has gotten expensive."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Ikwa stared up at me with a penetrating look, like he was acknowledging my coming betrayal.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
