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

Example Sentences

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.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Compounding that, there is a shortage of psychiatrists who treat ADHD in the first place, and many do not accept insurance due to low insurance reimbursement rates. —Laura Weiss, The New Republic, 9 Mar. 2023

But what’s radical within romantics is to spend time to discover your own needs, to accept your own needs, to be able to feel safe, to be in relationships with other people, and to dare to communicate these things. —Grant Sharples, SPIN, 9 Mar. 2023

Six-pack of options After a vote to grant Category 3 operating licenses by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Thursday, six online operators have the green light to accept bets at 10 a.m. Friday. —Michael Silverman, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023

Meanwhile, multiple countries that buy US chicken have long refused to accept meat from vaccinated broilers, arguing that the immune response to vaccination and flu infection is so similar that safe birds cannot be distinguished from carriers. —Maryn Mckenna, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2023

Washington is also encouraging semiconductor manufacturing to move to the U.S. by offering generous subsidies through the CHIPS and Science Act, which started to accept subsidy applications last week. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2023

Houston City Council today voted 11-6 to accept a bid from Areas SUA to run concessions at the airport for the next 10 years. —Brittanie Shey, Chron, 8 Mar. 2023

But women shouldn’t have to accept pain as a given. —Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 8 Mar. 2023

Top fashion schools including Parsons School of Design wouldn’t accept her class credits. —Arit John, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Mar. 2023

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

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

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