RECEPTIVE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does receptive mean? 

• RECEPTIVE (adjective)
  The adjective RECEPTIVE has 4 senses:

1. open to arguments, ideas, or change

2. ready or willing to receive favorably

3. of a nerve fiber or impulse originating outside and passing toward the central nervous system

4. able to absorb liquid (not repellent)

  Familiarity information: RECEPTIVE used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RECEPTIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Open to arguments, ideas, or change

Context example:

receptive to reason and the logic of facts

Similar:

pervious (admitting of passage or entrance)

Derivation:

receive (regard favorably or with disapproval)

receive (accept as true or valid)

receive (express willingness to have in one's home or environs)

receive (experience as a reaction)

receptiveness; receptivity (willingness or readiness to receive (especially impressions or ideas))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Ready or willing to receive favorably

Synonyms:

open; receptive

Context example:

receptive to the proposals

Similar:

acceptant; acceptive (accepting willingly)

admissive (characterized by or allowing admission)

assimilative (capable of mentally absorbing)

hospitable (having an open mind)

Antonym:

unreceptive (not receptive)

Derivation:

receive (regard favorably or with disapproval)

receive (accept as true or valid)

receive (experience as a reaction)

receptiveness; receptivity (willingness or readiness to receive (especially impressions or ideas))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Of a nerve fiber or impulse originating outside and passing toward the central nervous system

Synonyms:

centripetal; receptive; sensory

Context example:

sensory neurons

Similar:

afferent (of nerves and nerve impulses; conveying sensory information from the sense organs to the CNS)

Derivation:

receive (register (perceptual input))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Able to absorb liquid (not repellent)

Context example:

the paper is ink-receptive

Similar:

absorbent; absorptive (having power or capacity or tendency to absorb or soak up something (liquids or energy etc.))

 Context examples 

He listened eagerly, with receptive ears, lying on his back and looking up and joying in each movement of her lips as she talked.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

An aphasia characterized by impairment of expressive language (speech, writing, signs) and relative preservation of receptive language abilities (i.e., comprehension).

(Broca's Aphasia, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A B-lymphocyte that has been activated to be receptive to Epstein Barr virus and is found in the area of a lymph nodule containing aggregations of actively proliferating lymphocytes.

(EBV-Transformed Late Germinal Center/Post-Germinal Center B-Lymphocyte, NCI Thesaurus)

One interesting feature of these neurons is that they have large spatially organized receptive fields, yet can be activated by pulling a single hair.

(Study uncovers specialized mouse neurons that play a unique role in pain, National Institutes of Health)

A disorder characterized by an impairment in the development of an individual's expressive and receptive language capabilities which is in contrast to his/her nonverbal intellect.

(Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder characterized by an impairment in the development of an individual's expressive language which is in contrast to his/her nonverbal intellect and receptive language development.

(Expressive Language Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

From our previous work, we know that when the neural connection between mothers and babies is strong, babies are more receptive and ready to learn from their mothers, said Dr Vicky Leong in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, who led the study.

(Mothers’ and babies’ brains ‘more in tune’ when mother is happy, University of Cambridge)

But his brain was not receptive.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He was extraordinarily receptive and responsive, while his imagination, pitched high, was ever at work establishing relations of likeness and difference.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It was a holy hour for mother and daughter, and their eyes were wet as they talked on in the twilight, Ruth all white innocence and frankness, her mother sympathetic, receptive, yet calmly explaining and guiding.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)