transitive verb
1
a
: to receive (something offered) willingly
b
: to be able or designed to take or hold (something applied or added)
a surface that will not accept ink
2
: to give admittance or approval to
accept her as one of the group
3
a
: to endure without protest or reaction
accept poor living conditions
b
: to regard as proper, normal, or inevitable
an idea that is widely accepted
c
: to recognize as true : believe
refused to accept the explanation
4
a
: to make a favorable response to
b
: to agree to undertake (a responsibility)
5
: to assume an obligation to pay
also
: to take in payment
we don’t accept personal checks
6
of a deliberative body
: to receive (a legislative report) officially
intransitive verb
: to receive favorably something offered
—usually used with of
a heart more disposed to accept of his—
Jane Austen
Synonyms
Example Sentences
When Bess was born, my mother had a hard time accepting many of our parenting choices.
—Kelly Coyle DiNorcia, Mothering, March & April 2008
Despite Alexander’s general skepticism about speed measurements, he does accept the cheetah as probably the fastest known running species. The measurement he finds most reliable, 29 m/s (about 65 mph), comes from a 1997 record along a 200-meter course clocked by an experienced timekeeper for athletic races.
—Susan Milius, Science News, 16 Aug. 2008
The Edinburgh Christ in the House of Martha and Mary doesn’t look like a Vermeer, although its signature has been accepted as genuine.
—James Fenton, New York Review of Books, 6 Nov. 2008
They offered him the job, and he accepted it.
They offered him the job, and he accepted.
The store doesn’t accept credit cards.
a surface that will not accept ink
a computer program ready to accept commands
They accepted some applications and rejected others.
She’s still trying to get her manuscript accepted for publication.
They refused to accept his resignation.
a word that has come to be accepted as standard
This treatment is now accepted by many doctors.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
While accepting a special honor at the 1997 American Music Awards, Little Richard heaped some serious praise on himself.
—James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023
Washington — Democrats are calling for stricter ethics rules for Supreme Court justices in the wake of a new report detailing luxury vacations that Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted over the years from a Republican megadonor.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2023
If accepted, they will be trained on the grant program, its eligibility requirements and the application process.
—Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2023
Three Men Face Life in Prison for XXXTentacion’s 2018 Murder After Guilty Verdict Robert Allen, the fourth man arrested for the murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and accepted a plea deal in exchange for his cooperation, CBS Miami reports.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2023
There are few restrictions on what gifts justices can accept.
—Joshua Kaplan, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2023
Liska missed time early in the season with an ankle injury, but soon came back and accepted that challenge.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2023
He was charged with accepting bribes.
—Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2023
He’s also admitted accepting $22,000 in gambling chips from Choy during a trip to a New Orleans wastewater conference.
—Audrey Mcavoy, ajc, 6 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘accept.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English accepten «to receive graciously, favor, approve of, judge worthy,» borrowed from Anglo-French accepter, borrowed from Medieval Latin acceptāre, going back to Latin, «to receive regularly, submit to, admit of,» frequentative of accipere «to take, receive, accept, learn, interpret,» from ad- ad- + capere «to take» — more at heave entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of accept was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near accept
Cite this Entry
“Accept.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accept. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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9 Apr 2023
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- Accept Vs. Except
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- British
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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
verb (used with object)
to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor: to accept a present; to accept a proposal.
to agree or consent to; accede to: to accept a treaty; to accept an apology.
to respond or answer affirmatively to: to accept an invitation.
to undertake the responsibility, duties, honors, etc., of: to accept the office of president.
to receive or admit formally, as to a college or club.
to accommodate or reconcile oneself to: to accept the situation.
to regard as true or sound; believe: to accept a claim; to accept Catholicism.
to regard as normal, suitable, or usual.
to receive as to meaning; understand.
Commerce. to acknowledge, by signature, as calling for payment, and thus to agree to pay, as a draft.
(in a deliberative body) to receive as an adequate performance of the duty with which an officer or a committee has been charged; receive for further action: The report of the committee was accepted.
to receive or contain (something attached, inserted, etc.): This socket won’t accept a three-pronged plug.
to receive (a transplanted organ or tissue) without adverse reaction.Compare reject (def. 7).
verb (used without object)
to accept an invitation, gift, position, etc. (sometimes followed by of).
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Origin of accept
1350–1400; Middle English accepten<Middle French accepter<Latin acceptare, equivalent to ac-ac- + -cep- take, combining form of cap- + -t- frequentative suffix
words often confused with accept
The verbs accept and except are sometimes confused because of their similar pronunciations, especially in rapid speech. Accept means “to take or receive” ( I accept this trophy ), while except means “to exclude” ( Certain types of damage are excepted from coverage in this insurance policy ).
OTHER WORDS FROM accept
pre·ac·cept, verbre·ac·cept, verb (used with object)
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH accept
accept , except (see usage note at the current entry)
Words nearby accept
accentual, accentuate, accentuated, accentuation, accentuator, accept, acceptable, acceptance, acceptance region, acceptancy, acceptant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
ACCEPT VS. EXCEPT
What’s the difference between accept and except?
Accept is a common word with many meanings, most of which involve receiving something, taking something on, or putting up with something. Except is most commonly used as a preposition meaning excluding or but, as in Everyone was invited except me, or as a conjunction meaning but for the fact that, as in I would have called, except I lost my phone.
Except can also be used as a verb meaning to exclude, as in the common phrase present company excepted, but its verb use is much less common. In contrast, accept is always a verb.
To remember the difference in the spelling between accept and except, remember that except shares the prefix ex- with exclude, which is fitting since except is commonly used in situations in which someone or something has been excluded.
Accept, on the other hand, is often used in situations in which something is acquired.
Here’s an example of accept and except used correctly in the same sentence.
Example: I usually accept your excuses, except this time I know they’re not true.
Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between accept and except.
Quiz yourself on accept vs. except!
Should accept or except be used in the following sentence?
The cake was great _____ for the icing, which was a little too sweet.
Words related to accept
get, obtain, take, welcome, admit, receive, acknowledge, affirm, approve, buy, favor, hold, recognize, trust, agree, respect, tolerate, adopt, assume, comply
How to use accept in a sentence
-
First, they obviously make it easier to vote by mail — a more generous window for accepting ballots means fewer voters will be disenfranchised for mailing their ballots too late.
-
Some news publishers, including Reuters and Bloomberg, have policies against accepting political advertising.
-
Xiaomi accepted the proposition and doled out an investment for the startup’s angel round in 2017.
-
His 2018 study, co-authored with entomologists at the Washington State University bee lab, had been accepted by the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
-
Both decisions were early indications the nation was beginning to head into a different direction to accept.
-
In the meantime, he should just accept that the holdup has nothing to do with his politics.
-
Or as her mother tells her, sternly, “You got to accept that life is full of disappointments.”
-
Many Muslims may disagree with my view, or interpret Islam in a more moderate way, but I cannot accept this religion myself.
-
At the end of his prayer, the grand mufti whispered aloud: “May God accept it.”
-
Indeed, does Francis, or any Christian, genuinely accept that God is God, whether his name be Allah or God?
-
The Act permits member banks to accept an amount of bills not exceeding 50 per cent.
-
At the end of the first year, however, she resigned this privilege because she did not wish to accept the conditions of the gift.
-
I desired the captain would please to accept this ring in return of his civilities, which he absolutely refused.
-
This fact worried him considerably, and made him persist in his own mind that the company would accept it.
-
As an M.P. you are duly qualified to accept any appointment under the Crown when the Government ask you.
British Dictionary definitions for accept
verb (mainly tr)
to take or receive (something offered)
to give an affirmative reply toto accept an invitation
to take on the responsibilities, duties, etc, ofhe accepted office
to tolerate or accommodate oneself to
to consider as true or believe in (a philosophy, theory, etc)I cannot accept your argument
(may take a clause as object) to be willing to grant or believeyou must accept that he lied
to receive with approval or admit, as into a community, group, etc
commerce to agree to pay (a bill, draft, shipping document, etc), esp by signing
to receive as adequate, satisfactory, or valid
to receive, take, or hold (something applied, inserted, etc)
(intr sometimes foll by of) archaic to take or receive an offer, invitation, etc
Derived forms of accept
accepter, noun
Word Origin for accept
C14: from Latin acceptāre, from ad- to + capere to take
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
accept
receive: She will accept the award.; answer affirmatively: I accept your invitation.
Not to be confused with:
except – leave out; exclude: present company excepted; with the exclusion of: Everyone was there except for the guest of honor.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
ac·cept
(ăk-sĕpt′)
v. ac·cept·ed, ac·cept·ing, ac·cepts
v.tr.
1.
a. To answer affirmatively: accept an invitation.
b. To agree to take (a duty or responsibility).
2. To receive (something offered), especially with gladness or approval: accepted a glass of water; accepted their contract.
3. To admit to a group, organization, or place: accepted me as a new member of the club.
4.
a. To regard as proper, usual, or right: Such customs are widely accepted.
b. To regard as true; believe in: Scientists have accepted the new theory.
c. To understand as having a specific meaning.
5. To endure resignedly or patiently: accept one’s fate.
6. To be able to hold (something applied or inserted): This wood will not accept oil paints.
7. To receive officially: accept the committee’s report.
8. To consent to pay, as by a signed agreement.
9. To take payment in the form of: a store that does not accept checks.
10. Medicine To receive (a transplanted organ or tissue) without immunological rejection.
v.intr.
To receive something, especially with favor. Often used with of.
[Middle English accepten, from Latin acceptāre, frequentative of accipere, to receive : ad-, ad- + capere, to take; see kap- in Indo-European roots.]
ac·cept′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
accept
(əkˈsɛpt)
vb (mainly tr)
1. to take or receive (something offered)
2. to give an affirmative reply to: to accept an invitation.
3. to take on the responsibilities, duties, etc, of: he accepted office.
4. to tolerate or accommodate oneself to
5. to consider as true or believe in (a philosophy, theory, etc): I cannot accept your argument.
6. (may take a clause as object) to be willing to grant or believe: you must accept that he lied.
7. to receive with approval or admit, as into a community, group, etc
8. (Commerce) commerce to agree to pay (a bill, draft, shipping document, etc), esp by signing
9. to receive as adequate, satisfactory, or valid
10. to receive, take, or hold (something applied, inserted, etc)
11. archaic (sometimes foll by: of) to take or receive an offer, invitation, etc
[C14: from Latin acceptāre, from ad- to + capere to take]
acˈcepter n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ac•cept
(ækˈsɛpt)
v.t.
1. to take or receive (something offered).
2. to receive with approval or favor: to accept a proposal.
3. to receive or admit as adequate or satisfactory: to accept an apology.
4. to respond or answer affirmatively to: to accept an invitation.
5. to undertake the duties, responsibilities, or honors of: to accept the office of president.
6. to admit formally, as to a college or club.
7. to accommodate or reconcile oneself to: to accept the situation.
8. to regard as true or sound; believe.
9. to regard as normal, suitable, or usual.
10. to receive as to meaning; understand.
11. to agree to pay, as a draft.
12. to receive or contain (something attached, inserted, etc.): This socket won’t accept a three-pronged plug.
13. to receive (a transplanted organ or tissue) without adverse reaction. Compare reject (def. 7).
v.i.
14. to accept an invitation, gift, position, etc. (sometimes fol. by of).
[1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French accepter < Latin acceptāre, frequentative of accipere to receive = ac- ac- + -cipere,capere to take]
ac•cept′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
accept
If someone offers you something and you accept it, you agree to take it.
Jane accepted a slice of cake.
1. advice and suggestions
If you accept someone’s advice or suggestion, you decide to do what they advise or suggest.
I knew that they would accept my proposal.
Be Careful!
However, don’t say that you ‘accept to do‘ what someone suggests. You say that you agree to do it.
The princess agreed to go on television.
She agreed to let us use her flat while she was away.
2. situations and people
If you accept a difficult or unpleasant situation, you recognize that it cannot be changed.
They refused to accept poor working conditions.
Astronauts accept danger as part of their job.
accept
– except
Don’t confuse accept /ək’sept/ with except /ɪk’sept/.
1. ‘accept’
Accept is a verb. If someone offers you something and you accept it, you agree to take it.
I never accept presents from clients.
See accept
2. ‘except’
Except is a preposition or conjunction. You use it to show that a statement does not include a particular thing or person.
All the boys except Paul started to giggle.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
accept
Past participle: accepted
Gerund: accepting
| Imperative |
|---|
| accept |
| accept |
| Present |
|---|
| I accept |
| you accept |
| he/she/it accepts |
| we accept |
| you accept |
| they accept |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I accepted |
| you accepted |
| he/she/it accepted |
| we accepted |
| you accepted |
| they accepted |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am accepting |
| you are accepting |
| he/she/it is accepting |
| we are accepting |
| you are accepting |
| they are accepting |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have accepted |
| you have accepted |
| he/she/it has accepted |
| we have accepted |
| you have accepted |
| they have accepted |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was accepting |
| you were accepting |
| he/she/it was accepting |
| we were accepting |
| you were accepting |
| they were accepting |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had accepted |
| you had accepted |
| he/she/it had accepted |
| we had accepted |
| you had accepted |
| they had accepted |
| Future |
|---|
| I will accept |
| you will accept |
| he/she/it will accept |
| we will accept |
| you will accept |
| they will accept |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have accepted |
| you will have accepted |
| he/she/it will have accepted |
| we will have accepted |
| you will have accepted |
| they will have accepted |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be accepting |
| you will be accepting |
| he/she/it will be accepting |
| we will be accepting |
| you will be accepting |
| they will be accepting |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been accepting |
| you have been accepting |
| he/she/it has been accepting |
| we have been accepting |
| you have been accepting |
| they have been accepting |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been accepting |
| you will have been accepting |
| he/she/it will have been accepting |
| we will have been accepting |
| you will have been accepting |
| they will have been accepting |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been accepting |
| you had been accepting |
| he/she/it had been accepting |
| we had been accepting |
| you had been accepting |
| they had been accepting |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would accept |
| you would accept |
| he/she/it would accept |
| we would accept |
| you would accept |
| they would accept |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have accepted |
| you would have accepted |
| he/she/it would have accepted |
| we would have accepted |
| you would have accepted |
| they would have accepted |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Verb | 1. |  accept — consider or hold as true; «I cannot accept the dogma of this church»; «accept an argument»
recognize, acknowledge, know, recognise — accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority; «The Crown Prince was acknowledged as the true heir to the throne»; «We do not recognize your gods» sweep up, embrace, espouse, adopt — take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one’s own; «She embraced Catholicism»; «They adopted the Jewish faith» pass judgment, evaluate, judge — form a critical opinion of; «I cannot judge some works of modern art»; «How do you evaluate this grant proposal?» «We shouldn’t pass judgment on other people» believe — accept as true; take to be true; «I believed his report»; «We didn’t believe his stories from the War»; «She believes in spirits» receive — accept as true or valid; «He received Christ» approbate — accept (documents) as valid accept — react favorably to; consider right and proper; «People did not accept atonal music at that time»; «We accept the idea of universal health care» reconcile, resign, submit — accept as inevitable; «He resigned himself to his fate» acknowledge — accept as legally binding and valid; «acknowledge the deed» take a bow — acknowledge praise or accept credit; «They finally took a bow for what they did» abide by, honor, honour, respect, observe — show respect towards; «honor your parents!» reject — refuse to accept or acknowledge; «I reject the idea of starting a war»; «The journal rejected the student’s paper» |
| 2. |  accept — receive willingly something given or offered; «The only girl who would have him was the miller’s daughter»; «I won’t have this dog in my house!»; «Please accept my present»
take, have receive, have — get something; come into possession of; «receive payment»; «receive a gift»; «receive letters from the front» acquire, get — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract; «She got a lot of paintings from her uncle»; «They acquired a new pet»; «Get your results the next day»; «Get permission to take a few days off from work» admit, take on, accept, take — admit into a group or community; «accept students for graduate study»; «We’ll have to vote on whether or not to admit a new member» welcome — accept gladly; «I welcome your proposals» honor, honour — accept as pay; «we honor checks and drafts» adopt, borrow, take up, take over — take up and practice as one’s own pass up, turn down, decline, refuse, reject — refuse to accept; «He refused my offer of hospitality» |
|
| 3. |  accept — give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to; «I cannot accept your invitation»; «I go for this resolution»
consent, go for give — consent to engage in sexual intercourse with a man; «She gave herself to many men» react, respond — show a response or a reaction to something agree — consent or assent to a condition, or agree to do something; «She agreed to all my conditions»; «He agreed to leave her alone» settle — accept despite lack of complete satisfaction; «We settled for a lower price» contract in — consent in writing to pay money to a trade union for political use countenance, permit, allow, let — consent to, give permission; «She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband»; «I won’t let the police search her basement»; «I cannot allow you to see your exam» buckle under, knuckle under, succumb, give in, yield — consent reluctantly take in charge, undertake — accept as a charge refuse, decline — show unwillingness towards; «he declined to join the group on a hike» |
|
| 4. |  accept — react favorably to; consider right and proper; «People did not accept atonal music at that time»; «We accept the idea of universal health care»
accept — consider or hold as true; «I cannot accept the dogma of this church»; «accept an argument» react, respond — show a response or a reaction to something |
|
| 5. |  accept — admit into a group or community; «accept students for graduate study»; «We’ll have to vote on whether or not to admit a new member»
admit, take on, take profess — receive into a religious order or congregation accept, take, have — receive willingly something given or offered; «The only girl who would have him was the miller’s daughter»; «I won’t have this dog in my house!»; «Please accept my present» let in, admit, include — allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of; «admit someone to the profession»; «She was admitted to the New Jersey Bar» |
|
| 6. | accept — take on as one’s own the expenses or debts of another person; «I’ll accept the charges»; «She agreed to bear the responsibility»
assume, take over, bear take — take into one’s possession; «We are taking an orphan from Romania»; «I’ll take three salmon steaks» carry-the can, face the music — accept the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions |
|
| 7. |  accept — tolerate or accommodate oneself to; «I shall have to accept these unpleasant working conditions»; «I swallowed the insult»; «She has learned to live with her husband’s little idiosyncrasies»
live with, swallow brook, endure, tolerate, stomach, abide, bear, digest, stick out, suffer, put up, stand, support — put up with something or somebody unpleasant; «I cannot bear his constant criticism»; «The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks»; «he learned to tolerate the heat»; «She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage» |
|
| 8. |  accept — be designed to hold or take; «This surface will not take the dye»
take be — have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); «John is rich»; «This is not a good answer» |
|
| 9. | accept — receive (a report) officially, as from a committee
receive, have — get something; come into possession of; «receive payment»; «receive a gift»; «receive letters from the front» |
|
| 10. |  accept — make use of or accept for some purpose; «take a risk»; «take an opportunity»
take co-opt — take or assume for one’s own use; «He co-opted the criticism and embraced it» |
|
| 11. |  accept — be sexually responsive to, used of a female domesticated mammal; «The cow accepted the bull»
react, respond — show a response or a reaction to something |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
accept
verb
2. take on, try, begin, attempt, bear, assume, tackle, acknowledge, undertake, embark on, set about, commence, avow, enter upon Everyone told me I should accept the job.
take on refuse, deny, decline, reject, spurn, repudiate, disown, rebut
3. say yes to, agree to, comply with Eventually she was persuaded to accept an offer of marriage.
4. acknowledge, believe, allow, admit, adopt, approve, recognize, yield, concede, swallow (informal), buy (slang), affirm, profess, consent to, buy into (slang), cooperate with, take on board, accede, acquiesce, concur with I do not accept that there is any kind of crisis in the industry.
5. stand, take, experience, suffer, bear, allow, weather, cope with, tolerate, sustain, put up with, wear (Brit. slang), stomach, endure, undergo, brook, hack (slang), abide, withstand, bow to, yield to, countenance, like it or lump it (informal) Urban dwellers have to accept noise as part of city life.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
accept
verb
1. To receive (something given or offered) willingly and gladly:
2. To admit to one’s possession, presence, or awareness:
3. To allow admittance, as to a group:
4. To regard (something) as true or real:
5. To perceive and recognize the meaning of:
apprehend, catch (on), compass, comprehend, conceive, fathom, follow, get, grasp, make out, read, see, sense, take, take in, understand.
Chiefly British: twig.
6. To put up with:
abide, bear, brook, endure, go, stand (for), stomach, suffer, support, sustain, swallow, take, tolerate, withstand.
Idioms: take it, take it lying down.
7. To respond affirmatively; receive with agreement or compliance:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
قبليَقْبَلُيَقْبَل، يَتَقَبَّليُوَافِق عَلَى، يُسَلِّم بِ
přijmout
accepteregodtagetage
hyväksyäottaa vastaansietäävastaanottaa
prihvatiti
beleegyezikelfogad
fallast á, samòykkjaòiggja
受け入れる
받아들이다
atsiliepimaslaukiamasmielaspriimtipriimtinas
atzītpiekristpieņemt
sprejeti
acceptera
ยอมรับ
chấp nhận
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
accept
[ækˈsɛpt] vt
[+ invitation, offer, proposal, resignation, gift] → accepter
[+ blame, responsibility] → accepter
[+ credit card, Euros, dollars, cheque] → accepter
(= recognize as valid) [+ view, opinion] → se ranger à; [+ authority, rule] → accepter
to accept that … → admettre que …
(= be resigned to) [+ change, fate, unpleasant fact, noise, death] → accepter
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
accept
vt
(= allow, put up with) behaviour, fate, conditions → hinnehmen; we’ll just have to accept things as they are → wir müssen die Dinge eben so (hin)nehmen, wie sie sind
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
accept
(əkˈsept) verb
1. to take (something offered). He accepted the gift.
2. to believe in, agree to or acknowledge. We accept your account of what happened; Their proposal was accepted; He accepted responsibility for the accident.
acˈceptable adjective
1. satisfactory. The decision should be acceptable to most people.
2. pleasing. a very acceptable gift.
acˈceptably adverbacˈceptance noun
We have had few acceptances to our invitation.
acˈcepted adjective
generally recognized. It is an accepted fact that the world is round.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
accept
→ يَقْبَلُ přijmout acceptere akzeptieren δέχομαι aceptar hyväksyä accepter prihvatiti accettare 受け入れる 받아들이다 accepteren godta przyjąć aceitar принять acceptera ยอมรับ kabul etmek chấp nhận 接受
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
accept
v. aceptar, admitir, acoger, aprobar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
- Do you accept traveler’s checks? (US)
Do you accept traveller’s cheques? (UK)
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
First attested about 1380. From Middle English accepten, borrowed from Old French accepter, or directly from Latin acceptō, acceptāre (“receive”), frequentative of accipiō, formed from ad- + capiō (“to take”). Displaced native Old English onfōn.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əkˈsɛpt/, /ækˈsɛpt/
- (General American) IPA(key): /əkˈsɛpt/, /ɪkˈsɛpt/
- Rhymes: -ɛpt
- Homophone: except (in some dialects)
- Hyphenation: ac‧cept
Verb[edit]
accept (third-person singular simple present accepts, present participle accepting, simple past and past participle accepted)
- (transitive) To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.
-
1714 August 25, Addison, Joseph, “The Sequel of the Story of Shalum and Hilpa”, in The Spectator, number 585; republished in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq, volume 4, London: Jacob Tonson, 1721, page 112:
-
The Chinese say, that a little time afterwards she accepted of a treat in one of the neighbouring hills to which Shalum had invited her.
-
-
1842, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter III, in Zanoni. […], volume I, London: Saunders & Otley, […], →OCLC, book the second (Art, Love, and Wonder), page 151:
-
I bid thee banish from thy heart all thought of me, but as one whom the Future cries aloud to thee to avoid. Glyndon, if thou acceptest his homage, will love thee till the tomb closes upon both.
-
-
- (transitive) To admit to a place or a group.
-
The Boy Scouts were going to accept him as a member.
-
- (transitive) To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.
-
I accept the notion that Christ lived.
-
- (transitive) To receive as adequate or satisfactory.
- (transitive) To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.
-
I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.
-
- (transitive) To endure patiently.
-
I accept my punishment.
-
- (transitive) To acknowledge patiently without opposition or resistance.
-
We need to accept the fact that restaurants are closed due to COVID-19 and that no amount of wishing or screaming will make them reopen any sooner.
-
- (transitive, law, business) To agree to pay.
- (transitive) To receive officially.
-
to accept the report of a committee
-
- (intransitive) To receive something willingly.
Conjugation[edit]
Antonyms[edit]
- (receive with approval): reject, decline
Derived terms[edit]
- accept a bill
- accept at face value
- accept person
- accept service
- accepted
- accepted pairing
- acceptedly
- accepter
- accepting house
- acceptive
[edit]
- acceptability
- acceptable
- acceptableness
- acceptably
- acceptance
- acceptancy
- acceptant
- acceptation
- acceptilation
- acception
- acceptor
Translations[edit]
to receive with consent
- Afrikaans: aanvaar (af)
- Arabic: قَبِلَ (ar) (qabila)
- Egyptian Arabic: قبل (ʾebel)
- Hijazi Arabic: قبل (gibil), وافق (wāfag)
- Armenian: ընդունել (hy) (əndunel)
- Asturian: aceptar (ast)
- Azerbaijani: qəbul etmək (az)
- Basque: onartu
- Belarusian: прыма́ць impf (prymácʹ), прыня́ць pf (prynjácʹ)
- Bulgarian: прие́мам (bg) impf (priémam), прие́ма (bg) pf (priéma)
- Burmese: ယူ (my) (yu), ခံ (my) (hkam), လက်ခံ (my) (lakhkam)
- Catalan: acceptar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 接受 (zh) (jiēshòu)
- Czech: přijmout (cs) pf, přijímat (cs) impf
- Danish: acceptere (da), modtage (da)
- Dutch: aanvaarden (nl), accepteren (nl)
- Esperanto: akcepti (eo), alpreni (eo)
- Finnish: hyväksyä (fi)
- French: accepter (fr)
- Galician: aceptar (gl)
- Georgian: მიღება (miɣeba), დათანხმება (datanxmeba)
- German: annehmen (de), abnehmen (de), akzeptieren (de)
- Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (andniman)
- Greek: δέχομαι (el) (déchomai)
- Hebrew: קיבל קִבֵּל (he) (kibél)
- Hindi: स्वीकार करना (svīkār karnā)
- Hungarian: beleegyezik (hu), elfogad (hu)
- Indonesian: menerima (id)
- Italian: accettare (it)
- Japanese: 受理する (ja) (じゅりする, juri suru), 受け入れる (ja) (うけいれる, ukeireru), 受ける (ja) (うける, ukeru), 受け取る (ja) (うけとる, uketoru)
- Khmer: ទទួល (km) (tɔtuəl), ព្រមទទួល (prɔɔm tɔtuəl)
- Korean: 받아들이다 (ko) (badadeurida)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: وەرگرتن (wergirtin)
- Lao: ຕົກລົງ (tok long)
- Latin: scīscō, accipiō (la), habeō (la), audiō (la)
- Macedonian: прима impf (prima), прими pf (primi)
- Malay: menerima (ms)
- Malayalam: സ്വീകരിക്കുക (ml) (svīkarikkuka)
- Maltese: aċċetta
- Mansaka: tangkap
- Maori: tautoko (mi), tahuri, tūtohi, tūtohu
- Maranao: tangkap
- Ngazidja Comorian: ukuɓali
- Norwegian: akseptere (no), motta, ta imot
- Occitan: acceptar (oc)
- Old English: onfōn
- Pashto: منل (ps) (manël)
- Persian: پذیرفتن (fa) (paziroftan), قبول کردن (fa) (qabul kardan)
- Polabian: an-våst
- Polish: przyjmować (pl) impf, przyjąć (pl) pf
- Portuguese: aceitar (pt)
- Quechua: añikuy
- Romanian: accepta (ro)
- Russian: принима́ть (ru) impf (prinimátʹ), приня́ть (ru) pf (prinjátʹ), соглаша́ться (ru) impf (soglašátʹsja), согласи́ться (ru) pf (soglasítʹsja)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: примати impf, примити pf
- Roman: primati (sh) impf, primiti (sh) pf
- Slovak: prijímať impf, prijať pf
- Slovene: sprejeti (sl)
- Spanish: aceptar (es)
- Sudovian: enimt
- Swahili: kukubali
- Swedish: acceptera (sv), motta (sv)
- Tagalog: tanggapin, tumanggap
- Tajik: пазируфтан (tg) (paziruftan)
- Telugu: అంగీకరించు (te) (aṅgīkariñcu)
- Thai: รับ (th) (ráp), ยอมรับ (yɔɔm-ráp)
- Turkish: kabul etmek (tr)
- Ukrainian: прийма́ти impf (pryjmáty), прийня́ти pf (pryjnjáty)
- Urdu: قبول کرنا (qubūl karnā)
- Vietnamese: chấp nhận (vi), nhận (vi)
- Volapük: lensumön, lüsumön (vo)
- Zazaki: bet biyen
to admit to a place or a group
- Arabic: اِعْتَرَفَ (ar) (iʕtarafa)
- Azerbaijani: qəbul etmək (az)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 接纳 (zh) (jiēnà)
- Finnish: hyväksyä (fi)
- German: aufnehmen (de), akzeptieren (de), zulassen (de), einlassen (de)
- Hebrew: קיבל (he) (kibél)
- Old English: underfón
- Portuguese: aceitar (pt)
- Vietnamese: nhận vào
to regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in
to receive as adequate or satisfactory
to agree to
- Arabic: قَبِلَ (ar) (qabila)
- Bulgarian: съгласявам се (sǎglasjavam se), разбирам (bg) (razbiram)
- Catalan: acceptar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 贊同／赞同 (zh) (zàntóng), 同意 (zh) (tóngyì), 贊成／赞成 (zh) (zànchéng)
- Danish: acceptere (da), indvilge, godtage
- Dutch: aanvaarden (nl), accepteren (nl)
- Finnish: hyväksyä (fi)
- French: accepter (fr) (de)
- Galician: aceptar (gl)
- German: akzeptieren (de), annehmen (de), zusagen (de), zustimmen (de)
- Hebrew: הסכים (he) (hiskím), קיבל (he) (kibél)
- Hungarian: elfogad (hu)
- Indonesian: menyetujui (id)
- Italian: accettare (it), ammettere (it)
- Japanese: 承諾する (ja) (しょうだくする, shōdaku suru), 引き受ける (ja) (ひきうける, hikiukeru), 賛同する (ja) (さんどうする, sandō suru), 賛成する (ja) (さんせいする, sansei suru), 同意する (ja) (どういする, dōi suru)
- Korean: 찬동(贊同)하다 (ko) (chandonghada), 찬성(贊成)하다 (ko) (chanseonghada)
- Latin: scisco, accipio (la), audio (la)
- Luxembourgish: acceptéieren
- Maori: whakaae
- Norwegian: akseptere (no), godta (no)
- Old English: cēosan, þafian
- Polish: zgadzać się (pl) impf, zgodzić się (pl) pf, akceptować (pl) impf, zaakceptować (pl) pf
- Portuguese: aceitar (pt)
- Quechua: añiy, huñiy, uyniy
- Russian: принима́ть (ru) impf (prinimátʹ), приня́ть (ru) pf (prinjátʹ)
- Spanish: aceptar (es)
- Swahili: kiri (sw)
- Swedish: acceptera (sv), godta (sv)
- Tagalog: sang-ayunan
- Telugu: అంగీకరించు (te) (aṅgīkariñcu)
- Thai: ยอมรับ (yɔɔm-ráp), ตกลง (th) (dtòk-long)
- Turkish: kabul etmek (tr)
- Ukrainian: погоджуватися (pohodžuvatysja), визнавати (uk) (vyznavaty)
- Vietnamese: chấp nhận (vi), nhận (vi)
to endure patiently
- Bulgarian: понасям (bg) (ponasjam)
- Catalan: acceptar (ca)
- Dutch: aanvaarden (nl), ondergaan (nl)
- Finnish: hyväksyä (fi)
- French: prendre sur soi (fr), endurer patiemment
- Galician: aceptar (gl)
- German: hinnehmen (de), auf sich nehmen, in Kauf nehmen (de), ertragen (de)
- Hebrew: קיבל (he) (kibél), ספג (he) (safág)
- Italian: accettare (it)
- Japanese: 堪え忍ぶ (ja) (たえしのぶ, taeshinobu)
- Latin: accipio (la)
- Norwegian: aksepetere, godta (no)
- Old English: þolian, þafian
- Portuguese: aceitar (pt)
- Quechua: uynikuy
- Russian: принима́ть (ru) impf (prinimátʹ), приня́ть (ru) pf (prinjátʹ)
- Swedish: acceptera (sv), uthärda (sv)
- Tagalog: tanggapin, tiisin
- Thai: ยอมรับ (yɔɔm-ráp)
- Vietnamese: chịu (vi), đảm nhận (vi)
to receive something willingly
Adjective[edit]
accept (comparative more accept, superlative most accept)
- (obsolete) Accepted.
Romanian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): [akˈt͡ʃept]
Etymology 1[edit]
From German Akzept, from Latin acceptus.
Noun[edit]
accept n (plural accepte)
- acceptance
Declension[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Verb[edit]
accept
- first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of accepta
Scots[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): [əkˈsɛp(t)]
Verb[edit]
accept (third-person singular simple present accepts, present participle acceptin, simple past acceptit, past participle acceptit)
- accept
References[edit]
- “accept, v.” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
- Eagle, Andy, editor (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online.
Swedish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin acceptum, from accipere.
Noun[edit]
accept c
- (finance, business) a bill of exchange that has been accepted
- (finance, business) the acceptance of a bill of exchange
Declension[edit]
| Declension of accept | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | accept | accepten | accepter | accepterna |
| Genitive | accepts | acceptens | accepters | accepternas |
| Declension of accept 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncountable | ||||
| Indefinite | Definite | |||
| Nominative | accept | acceptet | — | — |
| Genitive | accepts | acceptets | — | — |
Derived terms[edit]
- acceptfrist
- acceptpris
- oren accept
[edit]
- acceptant
- acceptera
Other forms: accepted; accepting; accepts
Please accept («favorably receive») our apologies, but you’re just going to have to accept («put up with») the fact that this verb has almost a dozen different meanings.
You might accept («take») bribes from people who dislike multiple meanings, or they might challenge you to a duel, which you might accept («consent to»). When historians record your story, you might accept («officially receive») their books and accept («hold as true») the most flattering one. When you apply to cool-people clubs, they’ll accept («admit») you, and when you go broke, they’ll accept («take on») your debt, until the day your coffin accepts («takes») your weary accepting bones.
Definitions of accept
-
verb
receive willingly something given or offered
“Please
accept my present”-
synonyms:
have, take
-
have, receive
get something; come into possession of
see moresee less-
Antonyms:
-
decline, pass up, refuse, reject, turn down
refuse to accept
-
disdain, freeze off, pooh-pooh, reject, scorn, spurn, turn down
reject with contempt
- show more antonyms…
-
types:
- show 5 types…
- hide 5 types…
-
admit, take, take on
admit into a group or community
-
welcome
accept gladly
-
honor, honour
accept as pay
-
adopt, borrow, take over, take up
take up and practice as one’s own
-
profess
receive into a religious order or congregation
-
type of:
-
acquire, get
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
-
have, receive
-
verb
receive (a report) officially, as from a committee
-
verb
admit into a group or community
“accept students for graduate study”
-
synonyms:
admit, take, take on
-
admit, include, let in
allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of
-
admit, include, let in
-
verb
consider or hold as true
“I cannot
accept the dogma of this church”“accept an argument”
see moresee less-
Antonyms:
-
reject
refuse to accept or acknowledge
-
types:
- show 18 types…
- hide 18 types…
-
acknowledge, know, recognise, recognize
accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority
-
adopt, embrace, espouse, sweep up
take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one’s own
-
believe
accept as true; take to be true
-
receive
accept as true or valid
-
approbate
accept (documents) as valid
-
reconcile, resign, submit
accept as inevitable
-
acknowledge
accept as legally binding and valid
-
take a bow
acknowledge praise or accept credit
-
abide by, honor, honour, observe, respect
show respect towards
-
infer, understand
believe to be the case
-
swallow
believe or accept without questioning or challenge
-
fasten on, hook on, latch on, seize on, take up
adopt
-
buy
accept as true
-
believe
follow a credo; have a faith; be a believer
-
bank, rely, swear, trust
have confidence or faith in
-
believe in
have a firm conviction as to the goodness of something
-
celebrate, lionise, lionize
assign great social importance to
-
tolerate
recognize and respect (rights and beliefs of others)
-
type of:
-
evaluate, judge, pass judgment
form a critical opinion of
-
reject
-
verb
react favorably to; consider right and proper
“People did not
accept atonal music at that time”“We
accept the idea of universal health care” -
verb
tolerate or accommodate oneself to
“I shall have to
accept these unpleasant working conditions”-
synonyms:
live with, swallow
see moresee less-
type of:
-
abide, bear, brook, digest, endure, put up, stand, stick out, stomach, suffer, support, tolerate
put up with something or somebody unpleasant
-
abide, bear, brook, digest, endure, put up, stand, stick out, stomach, suffer, support, tolerate
-
verb
give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to
“I cannot
accept your invitation”-
synonyms:
consent, go for
see moresee less-
Antonyms:
-
balk, decline, refuse
show unwillingness towards
-
types:
- show 21 types…
- hide 21 types…
-
give
consent to engage in sexual intercourse with a man
-
agree
consent or assent to a condition, or agree to do something
-
settle
accept despite lack of complete satisfaction
-
contract in
consent in writing to pay money to a trade union for political use
-
allow, countenance, let, permit
consent to, give permission
-
buckle, buckle under, give in, knuckle under, succumb, yield
consent reluctantly
-
take in charge, undertake
accept as a charge
-
abide, bear, brook, digest, endure, put up, stand, stick out, stomach, suffer, support, tolerate
put up with something or somebody unpleasant
-
furlough
grant a leave to
-
give
allow to have or take
-
plea-bargain
agree to plead guilty in return for a lesser charge
-
bargain
come to terms; arrive at an agreement
-
allow, permit, tolerate
allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting
-
authorise, authorize, clear, pass
grant authorization or clearance for
-
accede, acquiesce, assent
agree or express agreement
-
accede, bow, defer, give in, submit
yield to another’s wish or opinion
-
admit, include, let in
allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of
-
favor, favour, privilege
bestow a privilege upon
-
decriminalise, decriminalize, legalise, legalize, legitimate, legitimatise, legitimatize, legitimise, legitimize
make legal
-
trust
allow without fear
-
admit, allow in, intromit, let in
allow to enter; grant entry to
-
type of:
-
react, respond
show a response or a reaction to something
-
balk, decline, refuse
-
verb
take on as one’s own the expenses or debts of another person
“I’ll
accept the charges”-
synonyms:
assume, bear, take over
-
verb
be designed to hold or take
-
synonyms:
take
see moresee less-
type of:
-
be
have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
-
be
-
verb
make use of or accept for some purpose
-
verb
be sexually responsive to, used of a female domesticated mammal
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘accept’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Commonly confused words
accept / except
To accept is to receive, and except is to exclude, usually. Both are busy little words skipping around to different meanings, but they never run into each other.
Continue reading…
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What they don’t «accept» is the idea, the concept, the notion, the thought of homosexuality. ❋ Hal Duncan (2007)
«What we will not see and we will not accept is any kind of Kosovo-style social cleansing of London.» ❋ Randeep Ramesh (2010)
The hardest thing for over-stretched people to accept is that the benefits of generosity do not stop when they have to put down the writing, or podcasting, or volunteering for a while. ❋ Anne Hill (2010)
Their list of what judges do is something I wouldn’t accept from a 6th grader. ❋ Unknown (2010)
What they fail to accept is that people differ biochemically and physiologically, and some are more sensitive to hormonal changes than other. ❋ Unknown (2009)
After Philadelphia, Eschenbach said he would never again accept a music directorship. ❋ Anne Midgette (2010)
But what I will not accept is the media hyping people into a frenzy and supporting a ‘guilty until proven innocent’ policy. ❋ Inspector Gadget (2009)
One of the things one comes to accept is that you are not the agency’s expert on any one particular thing. ❋ Rob Stein (2010)
The reality that they are unwilling to accept is that if warming was in fact caused by humans, then no collective action on our part would be effective in halting it short of ceasing all electricity production and use of fossil fuels immediately. ❋ Unknown (2009)
What these boneheads don’t realize or want to accept is the fact that most of the steps Obama has to take now is to remedy the putrid mismanagement of the last eight years. ❋ Unknown (2010)
The argument the administrators are asking us to accept is that lawful carriers suddenly become dangerous simply by stepping from a public street onto campus property. ❋ Unknown (2010)
What most leftists just can’t accept is that in order for everyone to be better off, some people have to accumulate more than others in order for the whole of society to achieve their goals of elimination of poverty (i.e., the lack of basic human needs to survive without considerable physical pain). ❋ Unknown (2009)
Why did Griffin accept the interview, is it Hollywood in Huntsville. ❋ Unknown (2009)
But, he warned: The one approach I will not accept is inaction. ❋ Unknown (2010)
Two mutually incommensurate world views, and IMHO the decision as to which you will accept is itself purely arbitrary (i.e. it is not the result of «necessity»). ❋ Unknown (2009)
[I accept] people, no matter what [nationality]/[relgion]/gender/race/sexual orientation they are ❋ *tweak* (2003)
[I accept] [handicapped] [people] ❋ Okoshi42 (2018)
This is [the final countdown]. I hear the guitars [strumming]. I am in total [acceptance]. ❋ #whileyoucan (2015)
Classic songs: [Balls to the Wall], [Restless] and Wild, Head Over Heels, [Russian Roulette], Dogs On Leads, Metal Heart, Son of a Bitch, Wrong is Right, Fast as a Shark ❋ Lurhstaap (2004)
[Please accept] this ❋ Louis42 (2017)
«As me about my [weiner]!!» [-A] line from [Accepted]. ❋ Cityclass (2006)
[Acceptance] is often [preached] in the Bible, and yet Christians often refuse to accept those who believe [differently] from themselves. ❋ Sn1pereye (2007)
-I [accepted] the [def] because it was a [valid] definition.
-I let that definition pass ❋ Feildmaster (2009)
She [faced] a lot of [acception] by her [peers] ❋ Benny Boy 2000 (2018)
People can’t just accept school and homework. They’re there so you can get a good, high-paying job. Not [drug dealing], not a McDonald’s [cashier], not [prostitution]. ❋ Dj Gs68 (2003)
|
accept 
acceptability 
acceptable 
acceptance 
acceptancy
acceptant 
acceptation 
accepted 
accepted pairing 
acceptee
acceptive 
acceptor 
vb mainly tr
1 to take or receive (something offered)
2 to give an affirmative reply to
to accept an invitation
3 to take on the responsibilities, duties, etc., of
he accepted office
4 to tolerate or accommodate oneself to
5 to consider as true or believe in (a philosophy, theory, etc.)
I cannot accept your argument
6 may take a clause as object to be willing to grant or believe
you must accept that he lied
7 to receive with approval or admit, as into a community, group, etc.
8 (Commerce) to agree to pay (a bill, draft, shipping document, etc.), esp. by signing
9 to receive as adequate, satisfactory, or valid
10 to receive, take, or hold (something applied, inserted, etc.)
11 intr; sometimes foll by: of
Archaic to take or receive an offer, invitation, etc.
(C14: from Latin acceptare, from ad- to + capere to take)
♦
accepter n
English Collins Dictionary — English Definition & Thesaurus 
accept
1 acquire, gain, get, have, obtain, receive, secure, take
2 accede, acknowledge, acquiesce, admit, adopt, affirm, agree to, approve, believe, buy (slang) buy into (slang) concur with, consent to, cooperate with, recognize, swallow (informal) take on board
3 bear, bow to, brook, defer to, like it or lump it (informal) put up with, stand, submit to, suffer, take, yield to
4 acknowledge, admit, assume, avow, bear, take on, undertake
Antonyms
decline, deny, disown, rebut, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn
English Collins Dictionary — English synonyms & Thesaurus
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WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023 ac•cept /ækˈsɛpt/USA pronunciation
See -cep-. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023 ac•cept
v.i.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: accept /əkˈsɛpt/ vb (mainly tr)
Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin acceptāre, from ad- to + capere to take acˈcepter n ‘accept‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): |
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Britannica Dictionary definition of ACCEPT
1
a
:
to receive or take (something offered)
[+ object]
-
accept a gift
-
accept a proposal
-
accept a bribe
-
accept an assignment/invitation/offer
-
They offered him the job, and he accepted it.
[no object]
-
They offered him the job, and he accepted.
b
[+ object]
:
to take (something) as payment
-
The store doesn’t accept credit cards.
c
[+ object]
:
to be able or designed to take or hold (something)
-
a surface that will not accept ink
-
a computer program ready to accept commands
2
[+ object]
:
to agree to (something)
:
to agree to receive or allow (something)
-
accept a telephone call
-
They accepted some applications and rejected others.
-
She’s still trying to get her manuscript accepted for publication.
-
I accept your apology.
-
They refused to accept his resignation.
3
[+ object]
a
:
to think of (something) as true, proper, or normal
-
a word that has come to be accepted as standard
-
This treatment is now accepted by many doctors.
-
He refused to accept the decision.
-
I accepted his advice and joined the health club.
-
They accepted [=believed] her explanation.
-
The theory is widely accepted as correct. = It is widely accepted that the theory is correct.
b
:
to stop denying or resisting (something true or necessary)
-
She found it difficult to accept change.
-
The truth is sometimes hard to accept.
-
He behaved badly, and now he has to accept the consequences.
-
He has to accept the fact that his baseball career is over. [=he has to admit that his baseball career is over]
-
He was unwilling to accept [=believe] that he could no longer play as he once had.
c
:
to admit that you have or deserve (something, such as blame or responsibility)
-
accept blame
-
I accept responsibility for the accident.
d
:
to be willing to have or experience (something)
-
To be a successful investor you have to accept some risk.
-
She accepted [=took on, faced] the challenge of starting her own business.
4
[+ object]
a
:
to allow (someone) to join a club, to attend a school, etc.
-
The club accepted her as a member but rejected her sister.
-
She was accepted at/by Georgetown University.
b
:
to regard (someone) as belonging to a group
-
She felt that her in-laws had never really accepted her (as a member of the family).
-
She doesn’t yet feel accepted (by her in-laws).
-
The new family was quickly accepted into the community.
-
an accepted practice
-
an accepted definition
-
a widely accepted truth
— accepter
or
acceptor
/ɪkˈsɛptɚ/
noun,
plural
accepters
or
acceptors
[count]