acceptance

noun

ac·​cep·​tance ik-ˈsep-tən(t)s 

ak-

1

: the quality or state of being accepted or acceptable

His theories have gained widespread acceptance.

2

: the act of accepting something or someone : the fact of being accepted : approval

acceptance of responsibility

3

law : an agreeing either expressly or by conduct to the act or offer of another so that a contract is concluded and the parties become legally bound

4

a

: the act of accepting a time draft or bill of exchange for payment when due according to the specified terms

b

: an accepted draft or bill of exchange

5

: acceptation sense 2

Examples of acceptance in a Sentence

her acceptance into the club

The university has sent me a letter of acceptance.

He delivered an acceptance speech after he was chosen as the party's presidential nominee.

Recent Examples on the Web

The failures of England’s previous generations were multi-faceted, but how much did the national culture feed into the acceptance of their behaviour? — Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

An agent can pass every acceptance criterion and still leave behind new dependencies from your business core straight into a vendor’s SDK. — Evan J. Schwartz, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Classified as a harp or lute, fixing the kora serves as a metaphor for Souleymane’s search for identity, belonging and acceptance within a traditional Muslim culture. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

The conflation of pain and pregnancy can lead to a tacit acceptance of discomfort that can be hard for both patients and doctors to parse. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Anglo-French, "agreement to abide by the act on another," from accepter "to accept" + -ance -ance

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing acceptance

• acceptance speech
• banker's acceptance
• find acceptance
• self-acceptance
• trade acceptance

Rhymes for acceptance

• nonacceptance

Kids Definition

acceptance

noun

ac·​cep·​tance ik-ˈsep-tən(t)s 

ak-

1

: the act of accepting

2

: the quality or state of being accepted or acceptable