receptive

adjective

re·​cep·​tive ri-ˈsep-tiv 

1

: able or inclined to receive

especially : open and responsive to ideas, impressions, or suggestions

2

a

of a sensory end organ : fit to receive and transmit stimuli

b

: sensory

3

of a female animal : willing to copulate with a male

a receptive mare

receptively adverb

receptiveness noun

receptivity

ˌrē-ˌsep-ˈti-və-tē 

ri-

noun

Synonyms of receptive

• open

Examples of receptive in a Sentence

I was happy to be speaking before such a receptive audience.

needed a partner who was receptive to new ways of managing the business

Recent Examples on the Web

That gallery feels like the perfect frame for Aitken’s work, at once spacious and enfolding, spare and receptive to all that visual and sonic plushness. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026

Consumers who understand a brand’s identity often require less convincing during the purchase process and may be more receptive to line extensions and product launches. — Louis Biscotti, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

For many potential investors, an underlying concern is how long the Americans would enforce a receptive environment. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Orbán had hoped the Russian leader would be receptive to his wish to regain the Transcarpathian Ruthenia region and its Hungarian population from Ukraine in the event that Russia’s war reconfigured Ukraine’s national borders. — Brett R. Chloupek, The Conversation, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for receptive

• deceptive
• perceptive
• contraceptive
• nociceptive
• proprioceptive

Kids Definition

receptive

adjective

re·​cep·​tive ri-ˈsep-tiv 

1

: able or willing to receive especially ideas

2

: able to receive and pass on stimuli

the receptive part of the retina

receptively adverb

receptiveness noun

receptivity

ˌrē-ˌsep-ˈtiv-ət-ē 

ri-

noun

Medical Definition

receptive

adjective

re·​cep·​tive ri-ˈsep-tiv 

1

: open and responsive to ideas, impressions, or suggestions

2

a

of a sensory end organ : fit to receive and transmit stimuli

b

: sensory sense 1

receptiveness noun

receptivity

ˌrē-ˌsep-ˈtiv-ət-ē, ri- 

noun

plural receptivities