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
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to adopt (a profession, a religion, etc.).
to embrace Buddhism.
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to take in with the eye or the mind.
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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
-
embraces
plural
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
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to take up (a new idea, faith, etc); adopt
to embrace Judaism
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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:
“Canadians will only embrace artificial intelligence if they have confidence in its ability to protect their personal information,” the prime minister added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
One of the first major restaurants to embrace DoorDash, the company gets about a fifth of its sales off premises.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
From Facebook groups dedicated to swapping outfits to charity shop bargains and creative upcycling projects, families are finding ways to embrace the spooky season without frightening their finances.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
The embrace from established musicians has definitely helped the band navigate its rise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Petrosian’s wife rushed to her husband to embrace him.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
He embraces downhill skiing, he says, because he loves being around his family on the slopes, “and feeling the adrenaline rush, and the rush of wind on my face.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
But at the risk of becoming trite, “Paralyzed by Hope” embraces the light that comes with radical honesty.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
Across an itinerant urgency of walks, drives, embraces, laughs, threats, nervy meetings, shared meals, phone calls and tearful testimony, Loktev’s immersive portrait of roving defiance is as necessary as nonfiction gets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The kitchen, meanwhile, embraces classic New York City style with dark wood cabinetry, ample storage, and modern appliances.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
A blast of warmth and light embraces me the moment I step in.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Mirren, meanwhile, said she embraced the freedom her character offered, infusing the role with her own personal touch.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Building the album around Cuban music was a challenge Chuwi embraced —and one that their invitees found “very curious” at first.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
When it came back in his favour, he put his head in his hands and was embraced by Rauf.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Now that country fans have embraced streaming, the genre is also flexing its muscle on the Hot 100.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Unlike most colonists, however, who believed that the Africans and Amerindians were “rough, wild people, naked, with no God or religious service,” Maria embraced their customs and lore.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
Germany—the country widely credited with inventing the automobile—is embracing Chinese brands, while German automakers are struggling in China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
And it is increasingly embracing policies aimed at easing pressures.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Video shared by her Vente party showed the leader, in a trademark white tee-shirt and blue jeans, embracing cheering supporters at a church.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
“This reflects a broader shift toward couples embracing alternatives to traditional wedding jewelry and prioritizing personal preferences over convention,” Skurnik said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
But I eventually came to understand that it’s about embracing the flexibility and possibility of the unknown.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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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.
