acknowledgment

noun

ac·​knowl·​edg·​ment ik-ˈnä-lij-mənt 

ak-

variants or acknowledgement

1

a

: the act of acknowledging something or someone

acknowledgment of a mistake

b

: recognition or favorable notice of an act or achievement

received acknowledgment for his charitable works

2

: a thing done or given in recognition of something received

an author's acknowledgments of assistance

3

law : a declaration or avowal of one's act or of a fact to give it legal validity

Synonyms

• award
• mention
• commendation
• citation

Examples of acknowledgment in a Sentence

They made several public acknowledgments of their company's mistake.

He paid the fine without acknowledgment of his guilt.

Special acknowledgments will be made at the end of the meeting.

He has finally received the acknowledgment he deserves for his charitable work.

They presented him with an award in acknowledgment of his charitable work.

He's the first person mentioned in the book's acknowledgments.

We sent an acknowledgment that we received their letter.

He never received an acknowledgment of his payment.

Recent Examples on the Web

Comey's firing also raises questions about political retaliation, given her father's long-standing feud with Trump and the DOJ's recent acknowledgment of an investigation into James Comey. —Amanda Castro hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025

The figures Mirga-Tas depicts are mostly survivors of the Romani holocaust of World War II, or their descendants; the series demands an acknowledgment of the genocide, in which hundreds of thousands of Roma were murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1939 and 1945. —Melissa Harris, Artforum, 10 July 2025

The move was widely interpreted as a subtle yet clear acknowledgment of her identity as the woman referenced in the song. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 7 July 2025

Moderator Whoopi Goldberg opened the show with a solemn acknowledgment of the disaster, urging viewers in affected areas to stay safe and tune in for information on how to help. —Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

acknowledge + -ment

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing acknowledgment

• land acknowledgment

Rhymes for acknowledgment

• acknowledgement

Kids Definition

acknowledgment

noun

ac·​knowl·​edg·​ment

variants also acknowledgement

ik-ˈnäl-ij-mənt 

ak-

1

a

: the act of acknowledging

b

: an act of acknowledging some deed or achievement

2

: something done or given in return for something received

Legal Definition

acknowledgment

noun

ac·​knowl·​edg·​ment

variants also acknowledgement

1

a

: the act of acknowledging

b

: the act of admitting paternity compare filiation

2

: a thing done or given in recognition of something received

an acknowledgment came in the mail

3

a

: a declaration or avowal of one's act or a fact to give it legal validity

specifically : a declaration before a duly qualified public officer (as a notary public) by a person who has executed an instrument that the execution was the person's free act and deed

b

: the formal certificate made by an officer before whom one has acknowledged a deed including as an essential part the signature and often the seal of the officer