Definition of acknowledge
acknowledged
;acknowledging
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 giftb : to take notice of failed to acknowledge my greetingc : to make known the receipt of acknowledge a letter
4 : to recognize as genuine or valid acknowledge a debt
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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 of acknowledge from the Web
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This is a crucial trade-off that Mrs May’s government has been reluctant to acknowledge.
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Thursday's report in the British journal Lancet is provocative — its authors acknowledge their estimate is theoretical, based on statistical modeling.
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Selleck acknowledged the challenge of approaching dozens of different bureaucracies with the notion that a curriculum needed to be updated.
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Elamin was released after five hours and is quick to acknowledge that others weren’t so fortunate: Yassin Abdelrhman, a green card holder in his late seventies from Sudan, was reportedly held at JFK for 30 hours.
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Denis, who recently met with U.S. lawmakers Rep. Maxime Waters, D-Calif., and Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio to push the idea, acknowledges that financing is an issue.
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Bane acknowledged the Amoss family; Bill Amoss, who heads up the county's agricultural land preservation program, was present for the ceremony.
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Colerain Township Police Chief Mark Denney acknowledged Ohio's fetal homicide laws during a news conference Sunday afternoon but said investigators were still gathering facts in the case.
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The suspension followed a National Enquirer story Wednesday in which the tabloid said Payne acknowledged a three-year extramarital affair with a female political analyst.
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.
Origin and Etymology of acknowledge
ac- (as in accord) + knowledge
Synonym Discussion of acknowledge
ACKNOWLEDGE Defined for English Language Learners
acknowledge
playDefinition of acknowledge for English Language Learners
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: to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something)
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: to regard or describe (someone or something) as having or deserving a particular status
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: to tell or show someone that something (such as a letter or message) has been received
ACKNOWLEDGE Defined for Kids
acknowledge
playDefinition of acknowledge for Students
acknowledged
;acknowledging
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
Law Dictionary
acknowledge
Legal Definition of acknowledge
acknowledged
acknowledging
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
Learn More about acknowledge
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See words that rhyme with acknowledge Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for acknowledge Spanish Central: Translation of acknowledge Nglish: Translation of acknowledge for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of acknowledge for Arabic speakers
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