ACCEPT

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(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does accept mean? 

• ACCEPT (verb)
  The verb ACCEPT has 11 senses:

1. consider or hold as true

2. receive willingly something given or offered

3. give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to

4. react favorably to; consider right and proper

5. admit into a group or community

6. take on as one's own the expenses or debts of another person

7. tolerate or accommodate oneself to

8. be designed to hold or take

9. receive (a report) officially, as from a committee

10. make use of or accept for some purpose

11. be sexually responsive to, used of a female domesticated mammal

  Familiarity information: ACCEPT used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACCEPT (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Consider or hold as true

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

accept an argument

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

evaluate; judge; pass judgment (form a critical opinion of)

Verb group:

accept (react favorably to; consider right and proper)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accept"):

adopt; embrace; espouse; sweep up (take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one's own)

believe (accept as true; take to be true)

receive (accept as true or valid)

approbate (accept (documents) as valid)

reconcile; resign; submit (accept as inevitable)

acknowledge (accept as legally binding and valid)

take a bow (acknowledge praise or accept credit)

abide by; honor; honour; observe; respect (show respect towards)

acknowledge; know; recognise; recognize (accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Antonym:

reject (refuse to accept or acknowledge)

Derivation:

acceptance (the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true)

acceptant (accepting willingly)

acceptation (the accepted meaning of a word)

acceptation (acceptance as true or valid)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Receive willingly something given or offered

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

accept; have; take

Context example:

Please accept my present

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Verb group:

have; receive (get something; come into possession of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accept"):

accept; admit; take; take on (admit into a group or community)

welcome (accept gladly)

honor; honour (accept as pay)

adopt; borrow; take over; take up (take up and practice as one's own)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s something from somebody

Antonym:

refuse (refuse to accept)

Derivation:

acceptance (the act of taking something that is offered)

acceptation (the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

accept; consent; go for

Context example:

I go for this resolution

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

react; respond (show a response or a reaction to something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accept"):

settle (accept despite lack of complete satisfaction)

take in charge; undertake (accept as a charge)

buckle under; give in; knuckle under; succumb; yield (consent reluctantly)

allow; countenance; let; permit (consent to, give permission)

contract in (consent in writing to pay money to a trade union for political use)

agree (consent or assent to a condition, or agree to do something)

give (consent to engage in sexual intercourse with a man)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

refuse (show unwillingness towards)

Derivation:

acceptation (the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception)

acceptation (acceptance as true or valid)

Sense 4

Meaning:

React favorably to; consider right and proper

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

We accept the idea of universal health care

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

react; respond (show a response or a reaction to something)

Verb group:

accept (consider or hold as true)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

acceptive (inclined to accept rather than reject)

acceptive (accepting willingly)

acceptation (acceptance as true or valid)

acceptation (the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception)

acceptant (accepting willingly)

acceptance (the state of being acceptable and accepted)

acceptance (the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Admit into a group or community

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

accept; admit; take; take on

Context example:

We'll have to vote on whether or not to admit a new member

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

accept; have; take (receive willingly something given or offered)

Verb group:

admit; include; let in (allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accept"):

profess (receive into a religious order or congregation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot accept Sue

Sense 6

Meaning:

Take on as one's own the expenses or debts of another person

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

accept; assume; bear; take over

Context example:

She agreed to bear the responsibility

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

take (take into one's possession)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accept"):

carry the can; face the music (accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Tolerate or accommodate oneself to

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

accept; live with; swallow

Context example:

She has learned to live with her husband's little idiosyncrasies

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

abide; bear; brook; digest; endure; put up; stand; stick out; stomach; suffer; support; tolerate (put up with something or somebody unpleasant)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

acceptance (a disposition to tolerate or accept people or situations)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Be designed to hold or take

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

accept; take

Context example:

This surface will not take the dye

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 9

Meaning:

Receive (a report) officially, as from a committee

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

have; receive (get something; come into possession of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

acceptation (acceptance as true or valid)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Make use of or accept for some purpose

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

accept; take

Context example:

take an opportunity

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accept"):

co-opt (take or assume for one's own use)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

acceptable (adequate for the purpose)

acceptable (meeting requirements)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Be sexually responsive to, used of a female domesticated mammal

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

The cow accepted the bull

Hypernyms (to "accept" is one way to...):

react; respond (show a response or a reaction to something)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

 Context examples 

When he, strong man that he was, loving life as he did, accepted his death, it was plain that he was troubled by something more than mere blindness.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

And the woman was a termagant—at least so I've been told. It was generally accepted in Berkeley that she made life—er—not exactly paradise for her husband.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

That is the letter which I have just received, Mr. Holmes, and my mind is made up that I will accept it.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I have had one lesson already in accepting facts that should make a man humble to the last hour of his life.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I accepted this as a hypothesis.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But Martin turned away, leaving him to tell it to the barkeeper, until that worthy was called away to furnish drinks to two farmers who, coming in, accepted Martin's invitation.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Let me pay you one in return when I say that if I were assured of the former eventuality I would, in the interests of the public, cheerfully accept the latter.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He accepted it as he accepted all the unaccountable doings and manifestations of the gods.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

My aunt evidently liked the offer, though she was delicate of accepting it.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The plan was talked over in a family council and agreed upon, for Mrs. Kirke gladly accepted Jo, and promised to make a pleasant home for her.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)