reception

noun

re·​cep·​tion ri-ˈsep-shən 

1

: the act or action or an instance of receiving: such as

a

: receipt

the reception and distribution of funds

b

: admission

reception into the church

c

: response, reaction

the play met with a mixed reception

d

: the receiving of a radio or television broadcast

e

: the catching of a forward pass by a receiver

2

: a social gathering often for the purpose of extending a formal welcome

Did you know?

Reception is the noun form of receive. So at a formal reception, guests are received or welcomed or "taken in". A bad TV reception means the signal isn't being received well. When a new novel receives good reviews, we say it has met with a good critical reception. If it gets a poor reception, on the other hand, that's the same as saying that it wasn't well-received.

Synonyms of reception

• event
• party
• celebration
• bash

Examples of reception in a Sentence

The school held a reception for the new students and their families.

He decided to run for a seat on the school committee only a year after his reception into the community.

Her job is to deal with the reception of donations.

Recent Examples on the Web

On his only reception of the game, Kittle’s foot was twisted awkwardly on a tackle by Philadelphia safety Marcus Epps. —Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound wide receiver had 71 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season. —Michael Guise, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026

And the reception from the audiences at the festivals that champion Black films has been off the charts. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2026

Injuries Kittle was pushed out of bounds on a 6-yard reception and grabbed the back of his lower right leg. —Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English recepcion, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French reception, from Latin reception-, receptio, from recipere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reception

• reception area
• reception class
• reception room

Rhymes for reception

• conception
• deception
• exception
• inception
• perception
• apperception
• contraception
• interception
• misconception
• misperception
• preconception
• intussusception

Kids Definition

reception

noun

re·​cep·​tion ri-ˈsep-shən 

1

: the act or process of receiving, welcoming, or accepting

a warm reception

2

: the receiving of a radio or television broadcast

3

: a social gathering

a wedding reception