Definition of ACQUIESCE

Synonyms & Antonyms for acquiesce

Synonyms

Antonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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."

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 on the Web

That may be changing with the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon, but so far Congress has yet to acquiesce to the Trump administration's desire for more funding to accelerate a human lunar return by 2024. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "The Orion spacecraft flew Tuesday morning, and it looked pretty spectacular," 2 July 2019 For decades, powerful Arab states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have publicly criticized Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, while privately acquiescing to Israel’s continued occupation of territory the Palestinians claim as their homeland. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New York Times, "Tapes Reveal Egyptian Leaders’ Tacit Acceptance of Jerusalem Move," 6 Jan. 2018 Yet the rafters immersed in natural river processes mostly acquiesced to the mainstream view that the value of ecosystems cannot trump human demands. — Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, "A run through Colorado’s Yampa whitewater reveals the wildness that remains. But will the West’s rivers survive urban demands?," 23 June 2019 The festival’s producers wanted to yank Sha Na Na out of the lineup; Hendrix insisted they be allowed to take the stage and the promoters acquiesced. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Woodstock return for Sha Na Na comes 50 years after fabled rock festival," 7 June 2019 The knight acquiesced, beheading Ned with his own ancestral sword in front of his entire family. — Ineye Komonibo, Marie Claire, "Arya Stark's Kill List May Never Be Complete," 14 May 2019 Never mind that Chief Justice John Roberts is unlikely to acquiesce to a move that would bring down the furies on his court. — William Mcgurn, WSJ, "Destroying Brett Kavanaugh," 1 Oct. 2018 Shortly afterwards the Lords too acquiesced, and the EU withdrawal bill will now duly become law. — The Economist, "Theresa May heads off a rebellion," 21 June 2018 Rather than defend its own constitutional prerogatives, the Senate in past years has acquiesced in the politically expedient myth that its duty to approve or deny treaties can be discarded at the pleasure of the executive of the moment. — WSJ, "The Senate Cedes Its Authority on Climate," 26 Dec. 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.