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

Historically, California voters have tended to be highly receptive to school bond measures, said Julian Lafortune, a senior fellow at the nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank Public Policy Institute of California. —Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 7 June 2026

Analysts say some people in Congo have been receptive to disinformation due to mistrust of the healthcare system and because some local officials have not become actively involved in containing the disease. —Ope Adetayo, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026

Mayor Evans, however, said the City Council is fully transparent and receptive to public input. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2026

Rough road for solar in Ohio A mixture of a state law passed in 2021 that favors local opposition over renewable energy development and a receptive regulatory panel on the OPSB has repeatedly stymied renewable developers in Ohio. —CBS News, 31 May 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