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

Columbarium interest in the Catholic church has grown for several reasons, including growing acceptance of cremation, cost and convenience. —Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Oct. 2025

According to Goldstein, the current issues with eVTOLs operating without pilots are a mixture of regulatory, infrastructure in terms of communicating with other aircraft and controllers on the ground, and consumer acceptance. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

And acceptance is part of the movie, too. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025

The age-old value proposition of indie filmmaking — that landing acceptance to a prestigious festival begets a sale to a distributor that pays off your debts and puts your movie in front of a massive audience — is flimsier than ever. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025

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