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accept

/əkˈsɛpt/ (Received-Pronunciation)/ækˈsɛpt/ (Received-Pronunciation)syllables: ac·cept
  • verb
  • adjective
  • noun
  • from Old French

To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “accept” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

verb

  1. transitiveTo receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.

    Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 20:3:

  2. transitiveTo admit to a place or a group.

    The Boy Scouts were going to accept him as a member.

  3. transitiveTo regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.

    I accept the notion that Christ lived.

  4. transitiveTo receive as adequate or satisfactory.
  5. transitiveTo receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.

    I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.

  6. transitiveTo endure patiently.

    I accept my punishment.

  7. transitiveTo acknowledge patiently without opposition or resistance.

    We need to accept the fact that restaurants are closed due to COVID-19 and that no amount of wishing or screaming will make them reopen any sooner.

  8. transitiveTo agree to pay.
  9. transitiveTo receive officially.

    to accept the report of a committee

  10. intransitiveTo receive something willingly.
  11. PhilippinesTo do a service done by an establishment.

    We accept repairs.

Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

adjective

No current senses for this part of speech — see older senses.

Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. EarlyModernobsoleteAccepted.
Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

noun

  1. Something that is accepted.

    Almost all line segments will be trivial accepts or trivial rejects, so the above covers the vast majority of cases.1996, Jim Blinn, Jim Blinn's Corner: A Trip Down the Graphics Pipeline, page 127:

Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (11)
  1. verbconsider or hold as true
  2. verbreceive willingly something given or offered — also: take, have
  3. verbgive an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to — also: consent, go for
  4. verbreact favorably to; consider right and proper
  5. verbadmit into a group or community — also: admit, take, take on
  6. verbtake on as one's own the expenses or debts of another person — also: bear, take over, assume
  7. verbtolerate or accommodate oneself to — also: live with, swallow
  8. verbbe designed to hold or take — also: take
  9. verbreceive (a report) officially, as from a committee
  10. verbmake use of or accept for some purpose — also: take
  11. verbbe sexually responsive to, used of a female domesticated mammal
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Antonyms: reject, decline

Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)accept
  2. Middle Englishaccepten
  3. Old Frenchaccepter
  4. Latinaccepto “receive”

First attested about 1380. From Middle English accepten, borrowed from Old French accepter, or directly from Latin acceptō, acceptāre (“receive”), frequentative of accipiō, formed from ad- + capiō (“to take”). Displaced native Old English onfōn.

Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “accept”

acceptedacceptedlyaccepteeaccepteracceptibleacceptivepreacceptreacceptsuperacceptunaccept

Phrases & compounds

accept a billaccept at face valueaccepted pairingaccepting houseaccept personaccept service

Related terms

acceptabilityacceptableacceptablenessacceptablyacceptanceacceptancyacceptantacceptationacceptilationacceptionacceptor
Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “accept” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “accept” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Old French
Old French accepter
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin accepto “receive”
Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Latin
“receive”
Latin accepto
Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

accept v. t. [F. accepter, L. acceptare, freq. of accipere; ad + capere to take; akin to E. heave.]

  1. To receive with a consenting mind (something offered); as, to accept a gift; -- often followed by of.
  2. To receive with favor; to approve.
  3. To receive or admit and agree to; to assent to; as, I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.
  4. To take by the mind; to understand; as, How are these words to be accepted?

accept a.

  1. Accepted.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

verbMeaning: To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.

Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 20:3:

The Chinese say, that a little time afterwards she accepted of a treat in one of the neighbouring hills to which Shalum had invited her.1714 August 25, Joseph Addison, “The Sequel of the Story of Shalum and Hilpa”, in The Spectator, number 585; republished in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq, volume 4, London: Jacob Tonson, 1721, pag

verbMeaning: To admit to a place or a group.

The Boy Scouts were going to accept him as a member.

verbMeaning: To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.

I accept the notion that Christ lived.

I can't accept nothing being done about the problem and your standing idly by.

verbMeaning: To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.

I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.

verbMeaning: To endure patiently.

I accept my punishment.

verbMeaning: To acknowledge patiently without opposition or resistance.

We need to accept the fact that restaurants are closed due to COVID-19 and that no amount of wishing or screaming will make them reopen any sooner.

verbMeaning: consider or hold as true

I cannot accept the dogma of this church

accept an argument

verbMeaning: receive willingly something given or offered

Please accept my present

verbMeaning: give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to

I cannot accept your invitation

verbMeaning: react favorably to; consider right and proper

People did not accept atonal music at that time

We accept the idea of universal health care

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “accept” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 10

Say it, then spell it

accept

/əkˈsɛpt/ · ac·cept

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

accept

/əkˈsɛpt/ · ac·cept · verb, adjective, noun

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “accept” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (verb) To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.
2. (verb) To admit to a place or a group.
3. (verb) To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.
4. (verb) To receive as adequate or satisfactory.
5. (verb) To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“The Boy Scouts were going to accept him as a member.”

A. To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.
B. To acknowledge patiently without opposition or resistance.
C. To admit to a place or a group.

Circle the meaning used.

“I accept the notion that Christ lived.”

A. To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.
B. To receive as adequate or satisfactory.
C. To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.

Circle the meaning used.

“I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.”

A. To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.
B. To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.
C. To admit to a place or a group.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “accept” come into English from?   A. Old French  B. New Latin  C. Old Norse  D. Ancient Greek

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “accept” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Latin accepto. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “accept” to mean: To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.
Write a sentence using “accept” to mean: To admit to a place or a group.
Write a sentence using “accept” to mean: To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — accept

Which meaning, sentence 1: C. To admit to a place or a group.

Which meaning, sentence 2: A. To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.

Which meaning, sentence 3: A. To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.

Origin: A. Old French (Old French accepter)

Journey: English accept ← Middle English accepten ← Old French accepter ← Latin accepto

Some derivatives: accepted, acceptedly, acceptee, accepter, acceptible, acceptive, preaccept, reaccept

Original meaning: Latin accepto — “receive”

Etymology: First attested about 1380. From Middle English accepten, borrowed from Old French accepter, or directly from Latin acceptō, acceptāre (“receive”), frequentative of accipiō, formed from ad- + capiō (“to take”). Displaced native Old English onfōn.

Sources: Wiktionary “accept” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/accept#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/accept