accept

verb

ac·​cept ik-ˈsept How to pronounce accept (audio)
ak-,
 also  ek-
accepted; accepting; accepts

transitive verb

1
a
: to receive (something offered) willingly
accept a gift
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
accept an offer
b
: to agree to undertake (a responsibility)
accept a job
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 hisJane Austen

Examples of accept in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web And, since many carriers will no longer accept paper claims, printing and mailing the claims is not a viable solution. Democrat-Gazette Staff and Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Some are concerned that an infusion of cash could impact their public food and housing benefits, while some undocumented workers who file taxes with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers are afraid to accept government funds. Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Featuring a 24/7 live chat customer support system, Cafe Casino can be likened to a hub of swift payouts as this gambling site accepts Bitcoin. 4. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 President Luis Abinader, who had been tightening the border before the crisis began, said this week that his country will not accept any Haitian refugees. Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Valley Metro will accept Footprint Center event tickets as valid light rail fare on the day of the event for four hours prior to the start of the event through the end of the transit day. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 The program was announced in January 2023 in conjunction with a bilateral agreement in which Mexico agreed to accept the return of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who crossed into the U.S. illegally. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 The government has sought to show that the legislation is widely accepted, pointing to a one-month period of public consultation — based on a document that described only in broad terms the scope of the law — that officials said drew mostly supportive comments. David Pierson, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The satiric thriller stars Keoghan as an Oxford scholarship student who befriends popular aristocrat Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), eventually accepting an invitation to stay at his family’s estate, Saltburn, for a summer. Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Feb. 2024

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

accept

verb
ac·​cept ik-ˈsept How to pronounce accept (audio)
ak-
1
a
: to receive or take willingly
accept a gift
accepted her as a member
b
: to be able or designed to take or hold (something applied or added)
a surface that will not accept ink
a computer program ready to accept commands
2
a
: to agree to
accept an offer
b
: to agree to undertake (a responsibility)
accept a job
c
: to take on an obligation to pay
also : to take in payment
don't accept checks
3
: to think of as proper or normal
the idea is widely accepted
accepter noun
or acceptor
-ˈsep-tər
Etymology

Middle English accepten "receive, accept," from early French accepter (same meaning), derived from Latin accipere "receive," from ac-, ad- "to" and capere "to take" — related to capture, except, receive

Legal Definition

accept

transitive verb
ac·​cept ik-ˈsept, ak- How to pronounce accept (audio)
1
a
: to receive with consent
accept a gift
accept service
b
: to assent to the receipt of and treat in such a way as to indicate ownership of
accepted the shipment despite discovering defects in the merchandise
compare reject

Note: Under section 2-606(1) of the Uniform Commercial Code, a buyer accepts goods if: 1) he or she indicates to the seller after a reasonable opportunity to inspect them that he or she will keep them; 2) he or she fails to effectively reject them; 3) he or she acts in a way that is inconsistent with the seller's ownership of the goods.

2
: to make an affirmative or favorable response to
specifically : to indicate by words or action one's assent to (an offer) and willingness to enter into a contract

Note: A contract is created when the offer is accepted.

3
: to assume orally, in writing, or by conduct an obligation to pay
accepting a draft
4
of a deliberative body : to receive (a report) officially (as from a committee)

intransitive verb

1
: to receive favorably something offered
usually used with of
no person…shall…accept of any presentU.S. Constitution art. I
2
: to receive and assume ownership of goods
under section 2-606(1), buyer has accepted if he has done any of the acts described thereinJ. J. White and R. S. Summers
acceptance noun
accepter noun
or acceptor

More from Merriam-Webster on accept

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