receptive

1 of 2

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

receptivity

2 of 2

noun

re·​cep·​tiv·​i·​ty (ˌ)rē-ˌsep-ˈti-və-tē 

ri-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being receptive

specifically : the power or capacity of receiving impressions : sensibility

her active intellectual receptivity

—Havelock Ellis

heighten the spectator's receptivity to the theme

—Michael Kitson

Synonyms of receptive

Adjective

• open

Examples of receptive in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

At six o’clock on a Sunday evening, long before the bar opened, the Roundhouse audience wasn’t in the most receptive of moods. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2026

Lawyers say that judges who are more receptive to habeas relief often issue decisions relatively quickly. — Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026

Digital culture would prove especially receptive to these countercultural ideals. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2026

Hot, dry and occasionally windy weather has left grasses and other vegetation highly receptive to fire, allowing flames to spread quickly. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

receptive + -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

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