accept

verb

ac·​cept ik-ˈsept 

ak-,

 also  ek-

accepted; accepting; accepts

transitive verb

1

a

: to receive (something offered) willingly

accept a gift

b

: to be able or designed to take or hold (something applied or added)

a surface that will not accept ink

2

: to give admittance or approval to

accept her as one of the group

3

a

: to endure without protest or reaction

accept poor living conditions

b

: to regard as proper, normal, or inevitable

an idea that is widely accepted

c

: to recognize as true : believe

refused to accept the explanation

4

a

: to make a favorable response to

accept an offer

b

: to agree to undertake (a responsibility)

accept a job

5

: to assume an obligation to pay

also : to take in payment

we don't accept personal checks

6

of a deliberative body : to receive (a legislative report) officially

intransitive verb

: to receive favorably something offered

—usually used with of

a heart more disposed to accept of his

—Jane Austen

Synonyms

• have
• take

Examples of accept in a Sentence

When Bess was born, my mother had a hard time accepting many of our parenting choices. —Kelly Coyle DiNorcia, Mothering, March & April 2008

Despite Alexander's general skepticism about speed measurements, he does accept the cheetah as probably the fastest known running species. The measurement he finds most reliable, 29 m/s (about 65 mph), comes from a 1997 record along a 200-meter course clocked by an experienced timekeeper for athletic races. —Susan Milius, Science News, 16 Aug. 2008

The Edinburgh Christ in the House of Martha and Mary doesn't look like a Vermeer, although its signature has been accepted as genuine. —James Fenton, New York Review of Books, 6 Nov. 2008

They offered him the job, and he accepted it.

They offered him the job, and he accepted.

The store doesn't accept credit cards.

a surface that will not accept ink

a computer program ready to accept commands

They accepted some applications and rejected others.

She's still trying to get her manuscript accepted for publication.

They refused to accept his resignation.

a word that has come to be accepted as standard

This treatment is now accepted by many doctors.

Recent Examples on the Web

In effect, New York claimed the right to dictate energy policy for all of New England, whether the citizens who actually reside in that region accepted and agreed with New York’s energy policies, or not. —Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

At what cost? The United States already has this type of agreement with the government of El Salvador, which notably has been accepting Venezuelan nationals and housing them in the country's notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT. —Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 1 May 2025

She’s driven from Long Beach to Azusa searching for apartments, spending her days scanning listings for those that would accept her Federal Emergency Management Agency housing assistance and calling 211 for help. —Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025

China can only be encouraged to think that the world will accept its bringing Taiwan under its rule. —Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English accepten "to receive graciously, favor, approve of, judge worthy," borrowed from Anglo-French accepter, borrowed from Medieval Latin acceptāre, going back to Latin, "to receive regularly, submit to, admit of," frequentative of accipere "to take, receive, accept, learn, interpret," from ad- ad- + capere "to take" — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing accept

• accept for publication
• accept/take as gospel
• accept/take (something) on faith
• accept that
• accept the fact that

Rhymes for accept

• adept
• except
• inept
• precept
• sidestepped
• transept
• windswept
• crept
• kept
• leaped
• leapt
• prepped

Kids Definition

accept

verb

ac·​cept ik-ˈsept 

ak-

1

a

: to receive or take willingly

accept a gift

accepted her as a member

b

: to be able or designed to take or hold (something applied or added)

a surface that will not accept ink

a computer program ready to accept commands

2

a

: to agree to

accept an offer

b

: to agree to undertake (a responsibility)

accept a job

c

: to take on an obligation to pay

also : to take in payment

don't accept checks

3

: to think of as proper or normal

the idea is widely accepted

accepter noun

or acceptor

-ˈsep-tər

Etymology

Middle English accepten "receive, accept," from early French accepter (same meaning), derived from Latin accipere "receive," from ac-, ad- "to" and capere "to take" — related to capture, except, receive

Legal Definition

accept

transitive verb

ac·​cept ik-ˈsept, ak- 

1

a

: to receive with consent

accept a gift

accept service

b

: to assent to the receipt of and treat in such a way as to indicate ownership of

accepted the shipment despite discovering defects in the merchandise

compare reject

Note: Under section 2-606(1) of the Uniform Commercial Code, a buyer accepts goods if: 1) he or she indicates to the seller after a reasonable opportunity to inspect them that he or she will keep them; 2) he or she fails to effectively reject them; 3) he or she acts in a way that is inconsistent with the seller's ownership of the goods.

2

: to make an affirmative or favorable response to

specifically : to indicate by words or action one's assent to (an offer) and willingness to enter into a contract

Note: A contract is created when the offer is accepted.

3

: to assume orally, in writing, or by conduct an obligation to pay

accepting a draft

4

of a deliberative body : to receive (a report) officially (as from a committee)

intransitive verb

1

: to receive favorably something offered

—usually used with of

no person…shall…accept of any present

—U.S. Constitution art. I

2

: to receive and assume ownership of goods

under section 2-606(1), buyer has accepted if he has done any of the acts described therein

—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

acceptance

ik-ˈsep-təns, ak- 

noun

accepter noun

or acceptor

-tər