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.
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to encircle; surround; enclose.
a secret garden embraced by wild shrubs.
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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
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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:
She added: "The new uniform empowers girls and volunteers to embrace their individuality."
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Cursor can easily embrace model mixing because its coding software is “model agnostic,” meaning that users can toggle between advanced models from OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX, Google and Chinese model-makers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Co-CEO Ted Sarandos dropped his undeniable embrace of AI in a letter to shareholders before last week’s earnings call.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
The pressure to embrace more AI tools at work also has sparked concerns among tech workers who are anxious that their jobs could be automated in the future.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“And yet we must embrace the unexpected and not lose hope, as Charlotte never fails to remind me. Penny, my dear Penny—you must have found the clue I left for you! How clever you are!”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
And that’s because Lotus is the only production carmaker that truly embraces the slide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Syd’s new album happily embraces a sense of maturity — of “feeling more sure of myself than I ever have,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 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
Byrd, on the other hand, embraces it all, even without the hazy glow of ’80s-era DV cameras.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Besides, they were meant to go with embraces and kisses and a stroke of Prim’s hair, a caress of Gale’s face, a squeeze of Madge’s hand.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
As he stuck his landing, his coach Jake Seager fell to his knees celebrating before the two embraced.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Beginning with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, America embraced equality among races and between the sexes as overriding policy goals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Ceremonial visits have been going on for years, and both Democratic and Republican presidents have embraced the tradition with athletes from various sports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 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
She sat down on the ground near me, embraced her knees with her arms, and rested her head upon them; in that attitude she remained silent as an Indian.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Why are younger Americans embracing low-stakes Saturdays and Sundays?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Wealthy investors are embracing 351 exchanges that convert concentrated stockholdings into diversified funds without capital gains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
His friends say Otero Alcantara is embracing his newfound freedom.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
Batty says his team is embracing the task of hosting a challenging games in a changing city.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
“I’m going to miss you, baby,” Alice said embracing her daughter.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
