acknowledge

verb

ac·knowl·edge | \ ik-ˈnä-lij,

ak-\

acknowledged; acknowledging

Definition of acknowledge

transitive verb

1 : to recognize the rights, authority, or status of They acknowledged him as their leader.

2 : to disclose knowledge of or agreement with She readily acknowledged her mistake.

3a : to express gratitude or obligation for acknowledge a gift

b : to take notice of failed to acknowledge my greeting

c : to make known the receipt of acknowledge a letter

4 : to recognize as genuine or valid acknowledge a debt

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about acknowledge

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Synonyms & Antonyms for acknowledge

Synonyms

admit, agree, allow, concede, confess, fess (up), grant, own (up to)

Antonyms

deny

Choose the Right Synonym for acknowledge

acknowledge, admit, own, avow, confess mean to disclose against one's will or inclination. acknowledge implies the disclosing of something that has been or might be concealed. acknowledged an earlier peccadillo admit implies reluctance to disclose, grant, or concede and refers usually to facts rather than their implications. admitted the project was over budget own implies acknowledging something in close relation to oneself. must own I know little about computers avow implies boldly declaring, often in the face of hostility, what one might be expected to be silent about. avowed that he was a revolutionary confess may apply to an admission of a weakness, failure, omission, or guilt. confessed a weakness for sweets

Examples of acknowledge in a Sentence

They acknowledged that the decision was a mistake. Do you acknowledge that you caused this mess? They readily acknowledged their mistake. She won't acknowledge responsibility for her actions. He quickly acknowledges all of my e-mails when he receives them. Please acknowledge receipt of this letter. She acknowledged the gift with a card. She acknowledged his greeting with a smile.

Recent Examples on the Web

The city is obligated to bargain with the union under state law, the attorneys said, while acknowledging that federal law would trump any provisions of the police-guild contract that conflict with the consent decree. — Steve Miletich, The Seattle Times, "Defending police reforms, Seattle tells federal judge that reinstatement of officer who punched woman is an ‘outlier’," 19 Dec. 2018 Hughes says, while acknowledging free food is never a bad thing. — Tess Kornfeld, Glamour, "How Much Should You Be Tipping Your Movers?," 12 Dec. 2018 While Microsoft acknowledges that the October 2018 update had problems, the company maintains that, overall, the trajectory is a good one. — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, "Windows 10 October 2018 Update is back, this time without deleting your data," 13 Nov. 2018 As far back as the Book of Genesis, when Jacob’s soon-to-be father-in-law tricked him into marrying the wrong daughter, in-laws have been universally acknowledged trip wires. — Alessandra Stanley, Town & Country, "New Solutions for Managing the Most Troublesome In-Laws," 19 Oct. 2018 That said, MacDowell acknowledges it’s not always easy to accept the signs of getting older. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "At 60, Andie MacDowell Returns to the Paris Runway—And Proves There’s No Time Limit on Beauty," 30 Sep. 2018 But there's also a sense among many residents out-state that the flagship campus doesn't benefit all residents of Wisconsin, UW officials acknowledge. — Karen Herzog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Retro UW-Madison delivery van hits road with myth-busting facts, Babcock ice cream," 13 July 2018 Brooklinen acknowledges that, and offers customers free returns and a lifetime warranty on sheets and comforters. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "7 Things You Should Know Before Buying Brooklinen Bedding," 11 Dec. 2018 Meghan then acknowledged a shout from an audience member. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'The View' Stars Meghan McCain and Whoopi Goldberg Got Into a Cringe-Worthy Argument," 4 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acknowledge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near acknowledge

Statistics for acknowledge

Last Updated

16 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for acknowledge

The first known use of acknowledge was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for acknowledge

acknowledge

verb

English Language Learners Definition of acknowledge

: to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something)

: to regard or describe (someone or something) as having or deserving a particular status

: to tell or show someone that something (such as a letter or message) has been received

See the full definition for acknowledge in the English Language Learners Dictionary

acknowledge

verb

ac·knowl·edge | \ ik-ˈnä-lij,

ak-\

acknowledged; acknowledging

Kids Definition of acknowledge

1 : to admit the truth or existence of They acknowledged their mistake.

2 : to make known that something has been received or noticed He refuses to acknowledge my generosity.

3 : to recognize the rights or authority of They acknowledged her as captain.

4 : to express thanks or appreciation for acknowledge a gift

acknowledge

transitive verb

ac·knowl·edge

acknowledged; acknowledging

Legal Definition of acknowledge

1 : to indicate recognition and acceptance of the power of taxation in the general and state governments is acknowledged to be concurrent — McCulloch v. Maryland, 17 U.S. 316 (1819)

2a : to show by word or act that one has knowledge of and accepts responsibility for (a duty, obligation, or indebtedness)

b : to admit paternity of will acknowledge the child as his — compare filiate

3 : to make known to a sender or giver the receipt of (what has been sent or given) or the fact of (one's having received what has been sent or given) acknowledge receipt of a letter

4 : to recognize as genuine so as to give validity : avow or admit in legal form the execution of any such power of attorney shall be acknowledged before one of the officers — U.S. Code