acknowledgment

noun

ac·​knowl·​edg·​ment ik-ˈnä-lij-mənt How to pronounce acknowledgment (audio)
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

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 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 But outside of a handful of instances, there was no large-scale collective acknowledgment that these moments, these eruptions, were world-class eruptions. Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Kellett writes with her usual blend of humor, cultural specificity, and acknowledgment of real-world issues. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024 The initiative seeks to map seafaring routes used by Tehran and stop the arms shipments while in transit, an acknowledgment that the Houthis are likely to pose a significant security challenge for the foreseeable future. Missy Ryan, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 The acknowledgment — prominent amid muted acknowledgment of the strikes during other awards shows this season — comes as behind-the-scenes crews could be next to challenge studios, and video game actors may be weeks from their own strike. Andrew Dalton and Tim Reynolds, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 King's first public acknowledgment of the incident comes nearly a month after Parton revealed she was unphased by King's blunder and encouraged the public to move past it. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 The desire to involve the Lenape arose partly out of Shorto’s sense that, for all the rage of land acknowledgments, not enough people appreciate that Native communities are not in the past. Marc Tracy, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acknowledgment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

acknowledge + -ment

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of acknowledgment was in 1567

Dictionary Entries Near acknowledgment

Cite this Entry

“Acknowledgment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acknowledgment. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

acknowledgment

noun
ac·​knowl·​edg·​ment
variants also acknowledgement
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

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