as in adequate
of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards
told the bike rental man that a ten-speed with four broken gears was not acceptable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of acceptable
Content depicting the sexualization or exploitation of children is banned under X’s current acceptable use policy.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
In isolation, the pictures and videos of England players drinking in their pre-arranged break in Noosa after the second Test were acceptable because the team were on a break and did not appear to be behaving badly.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Until more states move away from policies that treat expensive electricity as an acceptable tradeoff, millions of households and businesses will continue to pay the price for high energy costs as a deliberate political choice.
—Tom J. Pyle, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Cs were not acceptable in Williams’ household.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acceptable
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
In isolation, the pictures and videos of England players drinking in their pre-arranged break in Noosa after the second Test were acceptable because the team were on a break and did not appear to be behaving badly.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Until more states move away from policies that treat expensive electricity as an acceptable tradeoff, millions of households and businesses will continue to pay the price for high energy costs as a deliberate political choice.
—Tom J. Pyle, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Cs were not acceptable in Williams’ household.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acceptable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acceptable
Adjective
-
Versions offered by government officials and the family’s attorney and neighbors offer contradictory versions of whether the parents were given adequate opportunity to leave the child with someone else.—
Valerie Gonzalez,
Twin Cities,
25 Jan. 2026
-
These stand out amid the otherwise adequate effects, which simply get the spurting, spewing job done.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Yeah … very satisfactory to hear that.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The quality of basketball has been less polished than usual, but the results have been satisfactory.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For us, some data is showing the track of this clipper low just to our south, with places like Morgantown seeing some decent snowfall.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Things picked up significantly in the second season, and by the end of the third and final season, this became a decent grimy, violent, future fantasy show.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
If your home naturally receives plenty of sun, your indoor plants may be perfectly fine.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
If your oven doesn’t have a lot of stains and grease buildup, monthly cleaning should be fine.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Parents can now set daily time limits or block Shorts entirely, depending on what works best for their household.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Fan and critical consensus touted Kendrick Lamar’s triumphant-if-too-breezy GNX as one of 2024’s best and most successful rap albums.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Let’s not do fire making this time, okay?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Wispy bangs or curtain bangs are great for someone looking for a low-key fringe, whereas full, blunt bangs are better suited for someone who's okay with styling them daily.—
Krista Carter,
InStyle,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acceptable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acceptable. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
