acceptable

adjective

ik-ˈsep-tə-bəl How to pronounce acceptable (audio)
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Only half of respondents now consider one to two weeks an acceptable delivery window, down from 85% in the 2025 survey. — Jamie Garverick, Fortune, 15 July 2026 Lead concentrations exceeded the acceptable threshold in 14 of 64 soil samples, the state audit reported. — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026 However, in some very soft-water areas, tap water may be acceptable. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026 This allows LLMs to produce output deemed acceptable or safe in one context, but not in the real world. — IEEE Spectrum, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for acceptable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acceptable
  1. adequate
  2. satisfactory
  3. decent
  4. fine
  5. good
  6. OK
Adjective
  • People should look for air purifiers to remove pollutants from entering inside a person’s home, and people can also make their own DIY purifier using a box fan and adequate HEPA filters.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • Without body camera footage and time to reevaluate, there won’t be adequate answers.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
Definition of adequate
Adjective
  • The fifth season will have a really hard time wrapping up everything in a satisfactory way at this point.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Kelley said the company believed the existing easement was satisfactory and wasn’t told otherwise until after investing years of work on he project.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026
Definition of satisfactory
Adjective
  • But at a time when the physical element of football is at risk of overpowering the technical side, a decent fix is playing matches in conditions where relentless sprinting simply isn’t possible.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • But Nickel had a solid spring, flashing a strong arm, decent accuracy and an ability to throw deftly on the run.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of decent
Adjective
  • That said, France were favourites in the last final and Argentina beat them, albeit by the finest of margins, recovering from the shock of Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick before holding their nerve to win the penalty shootout.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • The study combines fine-scale meteorology with detailed simulations of energy infrastructure.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
Definition of fine
Adjective
  • Norway enjoyed their best World Cup ever, reaching the quarter-finals and beating Brazil along the way, and Haaland was at the centre of their success.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Apart from Luke, the crew has a good-ish day welcoming Suzanne, Amy, and the bachelors onboard.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026
Definition of good
Adjective
  • After a couple of rounds of throwing up and an evaluation by the doctor, Coop is okay, but the whole thing puts a fright into the crew, and especially into Joy.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026
  • The Last Of Us did an okay job with its first season, but completely crashed out in Season 2 on HBO.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of OK

Browse Nearby Words

acceptability
acceptable
acceptably
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Cite this Entry

“Acceptable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acceptable. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on acceptable

Nglish: Translation of acceptable for Spanish Speakers

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