as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people
traditionally the received opinion was that, in the event of a divorce, the mother should get custody of the children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in admitted
to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to
a top law-school grad who was received by the firm with open arms
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 received
Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
Famous Shakespearean actors, like Laurence Olivier or Ian McKellen, often deliver Richard’s lines in received pronunciation, an English accent associated with the middle and upper classes.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024
Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Seventy of the 120 complaints the commerce department received over the last three years were in 2025.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for received
Adjective
Democracy spread globally, and with it, challenges to the received idea of the national interest as something determined by autocratic elites, or of military power as the only kind that mattered.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
Famous Shakespearean actors, like Laurence Olivier or Ian McKellen, often deliver Richard’s lines in received pronunciation, an English accent associated with the middle and upper classes.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024
Verb
Police said officers received information the suspect had a firearm and a prior felony conviction and located him on East Ninth Street.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Seventy of the 120 complaints the commerce department received over the last three years were in 2025.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for received
Recent Examples of Synonyms for received
Adjective
-
The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.—
Betsy Golden Kellem,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After years of addiction, Cornett, who’s from South Eastern Kentucky, admitted himself in 2022 to ARC.—
Alex Acquisto,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
-
He was admitted 10 days ago and was cared for by the incredible team there.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
So, in a general process of professionalization that changed the way that music was experienced, raising standards while widening the gap between expert and amateur, the mandolin fell out of fashion.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel for the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, an organization that champions accessible elections, said the signs serve no purpose, since they’re tied to eligibility, which would be vetted by election officials before a ballot is cast.—
Jack Harvel
April 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Carrollton in 2024, leaking natural gas entered a sewer system and triggered a home explosion that killed a man.—
Lexi Salazar,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Two officers arrived at the location shortly after Guzman and the victims left the store and entered the parking lot.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bronx Science is one of the highly competitive specialized New York City public high schools where access to a free, élite education rests on a single admissions test.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Taurus April 20 – May 20 This evening spotlights your public voice.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His death marked the loss of a titan in the Civil Rights Movement, defined by a six-decade career that took him across the country and around the world.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Not many years ago, a ruthless man with an uneasy mind took power in his country and created a cult of personality.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Opposition parties warn that basing constituencies on population could shift political power toward faster-growing northern states, while diminishing the parliamentary representation, seat share and overall influence of southern regions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The city will also look at outcomes in foot traffic, business activity, and overall vibrancy for markers of success.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Boxy, aggressive styling on SUVs has been hugely popular with consumers.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The Naked Maxi Dress Barely there gowns are more popular than ever–on the runways at Paris Fashion Week and on the red carpets of awards season–as the ultimate bargaining chip to the attention economy.—
Chloé Versabeau,
Vogue,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Received.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/received. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
