accept

verb

ac·​cept ik-ˈsept How to pronounce accept (audio)
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 hisJane Austen

Examples of accept in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web After the Justice Department won at trial, Apple was forced to accept a monitor and adopt policies and training to improve its compliance with antitrust law. Leah Nylen, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 Women tend to feel greater pressure than men to accept a dry promotion and often don't take up the issue with their managers, Smith said, citing job coaches. Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024 The law allows state police to arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally and to force them to accept a magistrate judge's deportation order or face stiffer criminal penalties. USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 But the federal agency argues that accepting cash is costly and time-consuming. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Anderson still finds her son's death hard to accept. Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024 Trying to solve the child-care crisis by striving for affordability accepts largely unchallenged assumptions and a legacy that devalues care. Elliot Haspel, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2024 Notably, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said the country would not accept individuals deported under the law. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2024 Hanoi, Vietnam Reuters — The Vietnamese Communist Party has accepted the resignation of President Vo Van Thuong, the government said on Wednesday, in a sign of political turmoil that could hurt foreign investors’ confidence in the country. Reuters, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accept.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of accept was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near accept

Cite this Entry

“Accept.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accept. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

accept

verb
ac·​cept ik-ˈsept How to pronounce accept (audio)
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- How to pronounce accept (audio)
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 presentU.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 thereinJ. J. White and R. S. Summers
acceptance noun
accepter noun
or acceptor

More from Merriam-Webster on accept

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