Definition of acceptablenext
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

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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acceptable
Adjective
  • The government, in its brief and in court, argued that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has the authority to terminate any parole program and gave adequate notice by publishing the termination in the federal registry.
    Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
  • As the United States established dominance on the world stage, the White House grounds changed dramatically, with major expansions to prevent overcrowding and afford the first family and their staff adequate office space on the maximum-security property.
    Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • And yet no analytical framework ever yields a fully satisfactory result.
    Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
  • But the Outback is satisfactory in both categories.
    James Raia, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • But on Wednesday, bank stocks went lower even as many reported decent quarters, Cramer said.
    Julie Coleman, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
  • At the time, acquiring Aşik for a 2015 first-round pick seemed like a decent way to keep the face of the franchise happy and double down on interior defense.
    The Athletic NBA Staff, New York Times, 13 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
  • In the first half, the defensive activity and competitive spirit were far better against the league’s best team, a night after Miami came up woefully short in both of those areas against the league’s worst team.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Despite being given three power plays in the first, the B’s were not good at all on the man advantage.
    Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Both twins survived the initial fetal surgery and Sarah was later discharged, but spent the next four weeks undergoing two ultrasounds a week just to make sure everything still looked okay.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
  • A lot of people are completely okay being a tourist and that’s fine.
    Essence, Essence, 14 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acceptable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acceptable. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.

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