acquiesce

verb ac·qui·esce \ ˌa-kwē-ˈes \

Updated on: 23 Mar 2018

Definition of acquiesce

acquiesced; acquiescing

intransitive verb

: to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively —often used with in or to

See acquiesce defined for English-language learners

See acquiesce defined for kids

acquiesce was our Word of the Day on 09/21/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of acquiesce in a Sentence

… the tender understanding with which he had acquiesced to her wish not to consummate their relationship out of wedlock. —Dorothy West, The Wedding, 1995
… he seems to have acquiesced in his Christian Scientist wife's refusal to provide medical care … —Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review, 17 Dec. 1995
The main body of Shi'is, in and around Iraq, accepted 'Abbasid rule, or at least acquiesced in it. —Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples, 1991
He passively acquired the reputation of being a snob, and acquiesced to it … —George V. Higgins, Harper's, September 1984
They demanded it, and he acquiesced.
apparently the contractor expected me to acquiesce to my own fleecing

Recent Examples of acquiesce from the Web

Wynn Resorts acquiesced to bondholder demands on Thursday, raising an offer to pay investors holding one of its notes due in 2023.

— sam goldfarb, WSJ, "Wynn Bondholders Poised to Benefit From Turmoil," 16 Mar. 2018
To gain access to China's market, companies have had to acquiesce to Beijing's demands for technology and censorship.

— david pierson, latimes.com, "Blocking of Qualcomm takeover could end the tech industry's cozy ties to Beijing," 13 Mar. 2018
His lasting legacy will be breaking down imposing barriers to become one of the best ever in his sport, all while refusing to acquiesce to public image expectations.

— shannon ryan, chicagotribune.com, "Appreciate Shani Davis for his complexity and authenticity — not his controversy," 12 Feb. 2018
So House Republicans will be under pressure to acquiesce to a bill that can get through the Senate.

— maureen groppe, Indianapolis Star, "Donnelly joins Republicans in move to roll back regulations on banking industry," 6 Mar. 2018
One major, growing concern: that the United States is acquiescing to Iran's growing presence in Syria and influence in Lebanon — two Israeli neighbors.

— josh lederman, chicagotribune.com, "Trump's Mideast peace plan in limbo as Netanyahu set to visit White House," 5 Mar. 2018
But Puskás was desperate to play, and manager Gusztáv Sebes acquiesced to his demands.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 16 Weeks to Go – Ferenc Puskás, the Galloping Major Who Led the Magical Magyars," 1 Mar. 2018
Many Caribbean planters eventually acquiesced to policies regulating the number of lashes allowed as punishments.

— Longreads, "Kara Walker’s Subtlety," 28 Feb. 2018
But with all the anger over the current CBA and how teams have simply stopped spending in free agency, the pitch clock isn’t something the players will acquiesce to cheaply.

— jon tayler, SI.com, "The Pitch Clock Won't Happen in 2018, But Will the New Measures Speed Up the Game?," 19 Feb. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Acquiesce means essentially "to comply quietly," so it should not surprise you to learn that it is ultimately derived from the Latin verb quiescere, meaning "to be quiet." It arrived in English around 1620, via the French acquiescer, with the now obsolete sense "to rest satisfied." The earliest known recorded use of the word acquiesce in the sense of "to agree or comply" appeared in the writings of the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes in 1651. In his masterpiece Leviathan, Hobbes argued that people must subject themselves completely to a sovereign and should obey the teachings of the church. Encouraging his readers to adopt his position he wrote, "Our Beleefe . . . is in the Church; whose word we take, and acquiesce therein."

Origin and Etymology of acquiesce

borrowed from French acquiescer, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin acquiēscere "to rest, find peace, be satisfied (with)," from ad- ad- + quiēscere "to repose, be quiet" — more at quiescent

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First Known Use: 1613

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acquiesce Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of acquiesce

assent, consent, accede, acquiesce, agree, subscribe mean to concur with what has been proposed. assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

- voters assented to the proposal

consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

- consented to their daughter's going

accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

- officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

- acquiesced to his boss's wishes

agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

- finally agreed to come along

subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

- subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

ACQUIESCE Defined for English Language Learners

acquiesce

verb

Definition of acquiesce for English Language Learners

: to accept, agree, or allow something to happen by staying silent or by not arguing

ACQUIESCE Defined for Kids

acquiesce

verb ac·qui·esce \ ˌa-kwē-ˈes \

Definition of acquiesce for Students

acquiesced; acquiescing

: to accept, agree, or give consent by keeping silent or by not making objections

They acquiesced to the demands.

Law Dictionary

acquiesce

intransitive verb ac·qui·esce \ ˌa-kwē-ˈes \

legal Definition of acquiesce

acquiesced; acquiescing

: to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively —often used with in and sometimes with to

—

acquiescence

play \ˌa-kwē-ˈes-ᵊns\ noun

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acquiesce

Definition of acquiesce

acquiesce was our Word of the Day on 09/21/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of acquiesce in a Sentence

Recent Examples of acquiesce from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of acquiesce

acquiesce Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of acquiesce

ACQUIESCE Defined for English Language Learners

acquiesce

Definition of acquiesce for English Language Learners

ACQUIESCE Defined for Kids

acquiesce

Definition of acquiesce for Students

Law Dictionary

acquiesce

legal Definition of acquiesce

acquiescence

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