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

This approach not only supports local income but also strengthens public acceptance of large-scale renewable infrastructure by giving nearby residents a direct stake in its success. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 15 Nov. 2025

Upon graduation, in 2020, they were set to follow their various acceptance letters to a breakup when the band’s demos started getting traction. —Jillian Steinhauer, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025

When filmmaker Alex Bush received their acceptance to Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen’s Square Peg Social (SPS), something shifted. —Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025

This redundancy enables each spacecraft to be built more affordably than in the past, because the copies allow for more acceptance of risk. —Christopher Carr, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 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