received

1 of 2

past tense and past participle of receive

received

2 of 2

adjective

re·​ceived ri-ˈsēvd How to pronounce received (audio)
: generally accepted : common
a healthy skepticism about received explanationsB. K. Lewalski

Example Sentences

Adjective What was radical thinking in times past has become received wisdom today. traditionally the received opinion was that, in the event of a divorce, the mother should get custody of the children
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The series stands apart, though, for showing how Banerjee, born in India, uses a learned idea of American appetites to pursue a received idea of the American dream. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2022 This finding contradicted the received wisdom at the time that a new species would not arise if the existing population was still in contact and exchanging genes. Katie Hunt, CNN, 30 Jan. 2023 The paper upturned the received wisdom of the grasshopper origin story. Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, 23 Aug. 2018 Our findings have overturned much of the received wisdom about the ways human energy requirements change over the course of a lifetime. Herman Pontzer, Scientific American, 12 Dec. 2022 The received wisdom around Cubism treats these words and letters, especially the J-O-U of the Cubists’ favorite scandal sheet Le Journal, as signs set free of their original meanings. Jason Farago, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2022 For years, the DNA held no matches, but about two years ago, the victims one by one received phone calls that there was finally a face and name to match to the elusive attacker who had altered the trajectory of all their lives. Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 24 Oct. 2022 With voters unlikely to accept another nine-week leadership contest during a time of economic crisis, the received wisdom is that any transfer of power would have to be a coronation rather than a competition. Rosa Prince, CNN, 19 Oct. 2022 If Day Shift is well received, don't be surprised to find Perry and Stahelski reteaming for a sequel or two. Clark Collis, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'received.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of received was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near received

Cite this Entry

“Received.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/received. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

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