acknowledgment

noun

ac·​knowl·​edg·​ment ik-ˈnä-lij-mənt 

ak-

variants or acknowledgement

1

a

: the act of acknowledging something or someone

acknowledgment of a mistake

b

: recognition or favorable notice of an act or achievement

received acknowledgment for his charitable works

2

: a thing done or given in recognition of something received

an author's acknowledgments of assistance

3

law : a declaration or avowal of one's act or of a fact to give it legal validity

Synonyms

• citation
• commendation
• mention

Examples of acknowledgment in a Sentence

They made several public acknowledgments of their company's mistake.

He paid the fine without acknowledgment of his guilt.

Special acknowledgments will be made at the end of the meeting.

He has finally received the acknowledgment he deserves for his charitable work.

They presented him with an award in acknowledgment of his charitable work.

He's the first person mentioned in the book's acknowledgments.

We sent an acknowledgment that we received their letter.

He never received an acknowledgment of his payment.

Recent Examples on the Web

Millions of us are working from home at least part of the week, which is a fairly stunning acknowledgment of the toll commuting took on us before the pandemic upended office life. —Allison Morrow, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

Fake elector says Mayes 'weaponizing our justice system' The Arizona electors have largely avoided public acknowledgment of the reach of Mayes' investigation, refusing to confirm if they have been subpoenaed. —Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024

The narrator falls into a reverie that doubles as an acknowledgment of loves that are no less real for being soon forgotten. —Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024

And while land acknowledgments have become standard practice for Portugal. —Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 1 Apr. 2024

This cultural shift is rooted in the acknowledgment that investing in employees' personal and professional growth yields long-term benefits. —Jia Rizvi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Putin’s apparatus has pivoted in recent days to grudging acknowledgment that the likely culprits had an agenda unrelated to Ukraine: revenge for years of carnage carried out by Russian security forces in Syria, Chechnya and other Muslim states. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024

Millennials and Gen-Z, a significant portion of today's talent pool, crave regular feedback and acknowledgment. —Robin Elledge, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

But beneath the bravado was an acknowledgment of the work ahead. —Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

acknowledge + -ment

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

acknowledgment

noun

ac·​knowl·​edg·​ment

variants also acknowledgement

ik-ˈnäl-ij-mənt 

ak-

1

a

: the act of acknowledging

b

: an act of acknowledging some deed or achievement

2

: something done or given in return for something received

Legal Definition

acknowledgment

noun

ac·​knowl·​edg·​ment

variants also acknowledgement

1

a

: the act of acknowledging

b

: the act of admitting paternity compare filiation

2

: a thing done or given in recognition of something received

an acknowledgment came in the mail

3

a

: a declaration or avowal of one's act or a fact to give it legal validity

specifically : a declaration before a duly qualified public officer (as a notary public) by a person who has executed an instrument that the execution was the person's free act and deed

b

: the formal certificate made by an officer before whom one has acknowledged a deed including as an essential part the signature and often the seal of the officer