acceptance

noun

ac·​cep·​tance ik-ˈsep-tən(t)s 

ak-

1

: the quality or state of being accepted or acceptable

His theories have gained widespread acceptance.

2

: the act of accepting something or someone : the fact of being accepted : approval

acceptance of responsibility

3

law : an agreeing either expressly or by conduct to the act or offer of another so that a contract is concluded and the parties become legally bound

4

a

: the act of accepting a time draft or bill of exchange for payment when due according to the specified terms

b

: an accepted draft or bill of exchange

5

: acceptation sense 2

Examples of acceptance in a Sentence

her acceptance into the club

The university has sent me a letter of acceptance.

He delivered an acceptance speech after he was chosen as the party's presidential nominee.

Recent Examples on the Web

Although adoption faces technological and user acceptance hurdles, immersive technologies promise revolutionary potential for parsing rapid-fire financial information. —Murugan Lakshmanan, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

Harriette Cole: My twins are getting snappish over college acceptance Asking Eric: A cemetery guard ruined my father’s funeral, and that was just the start This includes stating your belief that your explanations may not be believed. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 7 May 2025

Among the discussions: the acceptance of undocumented migrants who cannot be deported by the Trump administration to their own countries. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025

Greater precision and acceptance of video replay technology helped persuade the Maryland Racing Commission to accept an appeal from Secretariat’s then-90-year-old owner in 2012 and change the official time to 1:53, securing the record. —Annie Jennemann, Baltimore Sun, 6 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Anglo-French, "agreement to abide by the act on another," from accepter "to accept" + -ance -ance

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing acceptance

• acceptance speech
• banker's acceptance
• find acceptance
• self-acceptance
• trade acceptance

Rhymes for acceptance

• nonacceptance

Kids Definition

acceptance

noun

ac·​cep·​tance ik-ˈsep-tən(t)s 

ak-

1

: the act of accepting

2

: the quality or state of being accepted or acceptable