acceptac‧cept /əkˈsept/ ●●● S1 W1 verb 
Rick accepted her offer of coffee. He accepted the invitation to stay with us. His school reports said that he is always ready to accept a challenge (=agree to do something difficult). Please accept this small gift. They offered me a job and I accepted.accept something from somebody He accepted a glass of water from Helen. He readily accepted her invitation (=accepted it quickly).RegisterIn everyday English, when talking about accepting a job, accepting responsibility or blame, or accepting a method of payment, people usually use take: They offered me the job and I accepted. ➔ They offered me the job and I took it.When talking about accepting an offer, people often say take someone up on their offer:· He decided to take her up on her offer.2situation/problem etc [transitive] to decide that there is nothing you can do to change a difficult and unpleasant situation or fact and continue with your normal life: He’s not going to change, and you just have to accept it.accept that We have to accept that this is not an ideal world. He can't accept the fact that his problems are his own fault.3think somebody/something is good enough [transitive] to decide that someone has the necessary skill or intelligence for a particular job, course etc or that a piece of work is good enough OPP reject: Students accepted by Stanford Law School had very high scores on the LSAT.accept somebody/something as something They have accepted him as the representative of the company.accept somebody/something for something Random House accepted the book for publication.4become part of a group [transitive] to allow someone to become part of a group, society, or organization, and to treat them in the same way as the other members OPP rejectaccept somebody as something The children gradually began to accept her as one of the family.accept somebody into something It often takes years for immigrants to be accepted into the host community.5agree to take/deal with something [transitive] to agree to take or deal with something that someone gives you, or to say that it is suitable or good enough: The government has accepted the resignation of a senior army commander. Please accept my sincere apologies. Sorry, we don’t accept traveller’s cheques.6suggestion/advice [transitive] to decide to do what someone suggests or advises you should do: Be prepared to accept the advice of members of staff.7believe an explanation/statement [transitive] to agree that what someone says is right or true OPP reject: She has accepted your explanation as to why you didn’t attend the meeting.► see thesaurus at believeGRAMMARIn more formal English, you say it is accepted that when saying what people generally believe is true: · It is accepted that he was sincere in his claim.8accept responsibility/blame for something to admit that you were responsible for something bad that happened: The University will not accept responsibility for items lost or stolen.GRAMMAR: Comparisonaccept• You accept something: · She decided to accept the offer.· I accepted his invitation to have dinner with him. ✗Don’t say: I accepted to have dinner with him.agree• You agree to something: · Her parents would never agree to the marriage. ✗Don’t say: Her parents would never agree the marriage.• You agree to do something: · I agreed to have dinner with him.COLLOCATIONSnounsaccept an offer· In the end I had to accept his offer of £4,500.accept an invitation· Are you going to accept their invitation to the wedding?accept help· Don’t be afraid to accept help if you need it.accept aid· Egypt gratefully accepted American economic aid.accept assistance· They were ready to accept French military assistance.accept a challenge· To protect the environment we must accept some difficult challenges.accept an award· Miller accepted the award for best comedy show.accept an opportunity· I wish that I’d accepted the opportunity to retire when it was offered.accept a gift/present· Accepting presents from him made her feel uncomfortable.accept a job· She was desperate for money so she accepted the job.accept a lift British English, accept a ride American English· I had been taught not to accept lifts from strangers.accept a bribe· The president’s family and friends accepted massive bribes in exchange for official favours.adverbsgladly/willingly/readily accept· She invited him for a drink and he gladly accepted.gratefully accept· He gratefully accepted Athena’s help.graciously accept· She accepted her gift graciously.
WORD ORIGINaccept
Origin:
1300-1400 French accepter, from Latin acceptare, from accipere ‘to receive’, from ad- ‘to’ + capere ‘to take’VERB TABLE
accept
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | accept |
| he, she, it | accepts | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | accepted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have accepted |
| he, she, it | has accepted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had accepted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will accept |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have accepted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am accepting |
| he, she, it | is accepting | |
| you, we, they | are accepting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was accepting |
| you, we, they | were accepting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been accepting |
| he, she, it | has been accepting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been accepting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be accepting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been accepting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- After a three week strike, the company has finally accepted the workers' pay demands.
- Alice accepted the job of sales manager.
- Divorce is hard on children, but they have to accept it.
- Do you accept travelers' checks here?
- Going to a new school is hard, but you have to try and accept it.
- I decided to accept the job.
- I finally accepted the fact that I would die if I didn't stop smoking.
- If they offered you a place on the course, would you accept it?
- In the US, people have come to accept that they will probably have several different jobs over the course of their career.
- It was difficult for Paul to accept the fact that he was going bald.
- My parents have always accepted me just as I am.
- Norton is in prison for accepting bribes.
- Owens refused to accept Bisonga's explanation.
- People are beginning to accept the idea that higher taxes may be necessary.
- She'll never accept that her husband has been unfaithful.
- She succeeded in persuading the jury to accept her version of the events.
- Steptoe finally accepted that his son didn't want to continue working in the family business.
- The idea of a common defence force has been accepted by some EU governments.
- The judge accepted that Carter did not mean to harm anyone.
- The office does not accept applications from non-residents.
- But wordings which did not take the shape of a request also soon came to be accepted.
- One day, not long before he died, he accepted it.
- The child's solicitor must serve and accept service of documents on the child's behalf where there is no guardian.
- The end user must have an Internet browser capable of accepting and playing the applet.
- With subtle flattery she had gradually been accepted by the housekeeper.
- Yet they have helped persuade a suspicious population to accept Mr Salinas's much-needed reforms.
THESAURUS
verb [transitive] to accept unpleasant behaviour or an unpleasant situation, even though you do not like it: · We will not tolerate any kind of racism.· People tolerated corruption for years.
to accept unpleasant behaviour or an unpleasant situation even though you do not like it. Put up with is less formal than tolerate, and is the usual word to use in everyday English: · I don’t see how you can put up with the constant noise.· Many people put up with poor pay and working conditions because they are afraid of losing their jobs.
verb [transitive] to agree or deal with a situation you do not like but cannot change: · She found it hard to accept his death.
verb [transitive, not in progressive] to accept or be forced to accept an unpleasant situation – used especially about things which cause you pain or make you feel upset. Bear is more formal than stand: · I don’t know how you’ve stood it for so long.· Maisie couldn’t bear the pain any longer.· How do you stand living in such a mess?
verb [transitive] informal to accept an unpleasant situation or someone’s unpleasant behaviour without becoming upset: · She was shouting at him and he just stood there and took it.· I can’t take much more of this.
to accept a bad situation as a permanent part of your life that you cannot change: · I’ve had back pain for many years and I’ve just learned to live with it.· The guilt I felt was very hard to live with.
verb [transitive] written to accept an unpleasant or difficult situation for a long time: · The victims of this war have endured tremendous pain and suffering.· The refugees endured cramped and filthy conditions.
to believe something to be sure that something is true or that someone is telling the truth: · I believed her when she said that she loved me.· Don’t believe anything he tells you.
to believe that something is true, especially because someone has persuaded you to believe it: · His wife accepted his explanation for why he was late.· Leah had slowly come to accept her brother’s version of events.
especially spoken to believe what someone says is true, even though you have no proof or experience of it: · I don’t know anything about him, so I’ll just have to take your word for it.· You don’t have to take my word for it – go and see for yourself.· ‘Cakes are very easy to make.’ ‘I’ll take your word for it.’
to believe what someone says, even though you think it might not be true: · Unless you have proof, you should give him the benefit of the doubt.
Longman Language Activatorto accept an offer, invitation, or request to say yes to an offer, an invitation, or a chance to do something: · I decided to accept the job.· The president has accepted an invitation to visit Beijing.· If they offered you a place on the course, would you accept it?· We've invited Professor Shaw to come and give a talk and she's accepted.
if you take an opportunity or a job that someone offers you, you accept it: · Stephen says he'll take the job if the money's right.· This is a wonderful opportunity -- I think you should take it.
spoken if someone says yes , they agree to do what you have asked or invited them to do: · We'd really like you to come to France with us this summer. Please say yes!· David doesn't usually lend his car to anyone, so I was surprised when he said yes.say yes to (doing) something: · Do you really think your parents will say yes to letting you stay out late this Friday night?
to say you will do what someone has asked you to do, especially something that may be difficult, inconvenient etc: · They've asked Tina to work overtime this week, and she's agreed.agree to do something: · I wish I had never agreed to teach Paul how to drive.· I've agreed to help Sarah move this weekend.
to accept someone's offer to do something for you, especially when you accept the offer some time after it was made: · "If you ever need a babysitter, let me know." "Thanks, I might take you up on that some time."take up somebody's offer of something: · In the end, Rick took up his parents' offer of a loan.
to eagerly accept an offer to do something: · Marla jumped at the chance to spend a year working in her company's UK office.
to take money or a gift that someone offers you to take something someone offers you, especially money or a gift. Accept is more formal than take: · Mark gave us a lot of helpful advice, but he refused to take any payment for it.· We hope you'll accept this small gift.take something from somebody: · My mother always warned us never to take candy from strangers.take bribes: · Ochoa was formally accused of taking bribes.take it or leave it (=said when telling someone that you will not change your offer): · I'll give you $500 for the car. Take it or leave it.accept something from somebody: · A Senate candidate can accept up to $2,000 from individual campaign donors.
to accept that something is right to agree that a suggestion or idea is right, especially when you did not previously think so: · People are beginning to accept the idea that higher taxes may be necessary.accept that: · The judge accepted that Carter did not mean to harm anyone.
to accept that a plan or suggestion is good, especially when you have the power to decide whether it will be allowed to happen: · I spoke to my boss yesterday about postponing the meeting and she agreed.agree to: · We want to have a big party, but I don't think my parents will agree to it.agree that: · The music teacher agreed that Dave should play at the school concert.
to think that a plan, suggestion, or decision is very good, and eagerly accept it: · Some companies have welcomed the idea of employees working from home.· The university's cafeteria welcomes any suggestions for improvement of its menu or service.be warmly welcomed: · The proposal was warmly welcomed by the German Chancellor.
especially spoken use this to say that you are willing to accept and support a plan or suggestion that someone has made: · "What do you think of Jo's idea?" "I think we should go with it - I can't think of anything better."
British to realize that a new idea or suggestion is important and that it needs to be thought about seriously: take something on board: · The local government says it has taken much of the public's criticism on board and it promises to make changes.take on board something: · The management says that it will take on board suggestions from employees about child-care facilities.
formal to eagerly accept ideas, opinions etc: · By the end of the last century, Americans had embraced the idea of the right to free public education for all children.embrace something wholeheartedly/wholeheartedly embrace something (=embrace it completely): · The President said he wholeheartedly embraced the need for further talks on the refugee crisis.
to accept something after first refusing or opposing it to accept someone's suggestion, offer, or demand, after refusing it for some time: finally accept something: · After a three week strike, the company has finally accepted the workers' pay demands.· The owners finally accepted our offer of £62,000.(finally) have to accept something: · The President finally had to accept that there was little support for his health care initiatives.
to unwillingly agree to accept someone's demands after they have argued with you, asked you repeatedly, or threatened you: · Jenny kept begging me for a new bicycle, and I finally gave in.give in to: · The President said he would never give in to demands by terrorists.· You shouldn't always give in to other people -- stick up for yourself more.
to agree to stop saying that you are right or that other people obey you: · Even though it was obvious Emma's demands were unrealistic, she wouldn't back down.back down on: · Congress has backed down on its demand for an increase in defense spending.
: bow to somebody's wishes/opinions/demands/pressure etc to agree to do something because many people want you to, even though you do not want to do it: · The government finally bowed to public opinion and abolished the unpopular tax.· McDonald's finally bowed to consumer pressure and announced that it would no longer use styrofoam boxes to package its hamburgers.
: accede to somebody's demands/request/wishes formal to accept someone's demands etc: · The Democrats have finally acceded to Republican demands to cut taxes.· Meyer acceded to the President's request that he continue as education secretary until a replacement could be found.
to finally accept what someone has suggested or to finally agree to something that they want - use this when you think someone should not accept something and are being weak if they do: · Strike leaders are privately saying they would like an end to the dispute, but don't want to be seen to be caving in.cave in to: · It's unlikely that the government will cave in to the rebels' demands.
to accept a situation that you do not like to accept a situation that you do not like but you cannot change: · Divorce is hard on children, but they have to accept it.learn/come to accept (=eventually accept): · In the US, people have come to accept that they will probably have several different jobs over the course of their career.accept the fact (that): · It was difficult for Paul to accept the fact that he was going bald.accept that: · Steptoe finally accepted that his son didn't want to continue working in the family business.
to accept an annoying situation or someone's annoying behaviour, without trying to stop it or change it: · I don't know how you put up with this noise day after day.· The kind of treatment that you have to put up with as a new army recruit is pretty horrible.
to accept an unpleasant situation, without trying to change it: · For years the workers have had to tolerate low wages and terrible working conditions.· I told him I wasn't going to tolerate his drinking any longer.
to realize that you must accept an unpleasant situation, because you cannot prevent it or avoid it: · The children have had to resign themselves to being without their father.resign yourself to the fact (that): · I'm resigned to the fact that I'm not going to get the job.
to accept a situation that you do not like, and try to enjoy it or make it less bad: · It's not the university that I really wanted to go to, but I suppose I'll just have to make the best of it.· Six months after the earthquake, city residents continue to make the best of a bad situation.
to accept an unpleasant or difficult situation and say that you will deal with it: · It's not easy, but as a manager, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and fire people.
spoken said when you have to accept something you do not like because you do not have the money or power to choose anything else: · It would be nice to have a suit with a better fit, but as they say, beggars can't be choosers.
spoken said when telling someone that a difficult situation must be accepted, especially because there is no way to prevent it or there is nothing anyone can do about it: · "Sorry you didn't get the job, Mike." "Yeah, thanks. I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles."
to accept a situation or job you do not like and try to deal with it in a determined way: · Rescue workers here have little choice but to grit their teeth and get on with the grim task of recovering the bodies.· I was desperately unhappy in that job, but had to grit my teeth and stay smiling for the sake of my children.
to officially accept a new law or proposal if a parliament or similar group passes a law or proposal, the members vote to accept it: · The State Assembly passed a law which banned smoking in public places.pass by: · The bill was passed by 197 votes to 50.
to officially accept something that has been planned to happen: · The Medical Research Council said it could not approve the use of the new drug without further tests.· Congress voted not to approve the President's plans for cutting the arms budget.
: ratify an agreement/treaty to officially agree to accept an agreement that someone else has already agreed to accept: · The US Senate refused to ratify the agreement on weapons reduction.· A 1961 treaty ratified by 125 nations outlawed the production of cocaine.
if a suggestion, proposal etc is carried , most of the people at an official meeting vote in favour of it and it is accepted: · Chao's proposal for a new downtown parking facility was carried at yesterday's council meeting.be carried by 20 votes/100 votes etc: · The motion to restrict handgun sales was carried by 76 votes (=76 more people voted for it than voted against it).
if a court or a judge upholds a legal decision made by another court, they decide that it is right and they accept it: · The court's decision upheld state laws prohibiting doctor-assisted suicide.uphold by: · The decision was upheld by the US Supreme Court late last year.
if an official committee or someone in authority rubber-stamps a decision, they approve it immediately without thinking about it or discussing it because they have no real power of their own: · The town council usually rubber-stamped anything the mayor sent their way.
to accept that something has legal or official authority · The president refused to accept the authority of the state court when it tried to keep black students out of the University of Alabama.· The idea of a common defence force has been accepted by some EU governments.
also recognise British: recognize a court/government/qualification to officially accept that it has legal or official authority: · Papua New Guinea was the first country to recognize the new military regime in Fiji.· British medical qualifications are recognized in many countries throughout the world.
to officially accept that a government, court, organization, or person has legal or official authority: · Zaire was forced to acknowledge the authority of the Congolese state.be acknowledged as: · In 1932 De Valera was elected as Prime Minister, and was acknowledged as leader of the Irish people.
to accept something as payment · Will you take a cheque?· The hotel accepts all major credit cards.· I'm afraid we only accept cash.
to believe that something is true to be sure that something is true or that someone is telling the truth: · Did the police believe his story?· I told them I didn't do it, but no one believed me.· You shouldn't believe everything you read in the papers.believe (that): · People used to believe that the sun moved around the earth.believe it or not (=it may be hard to believe this): · I asked them for a $10,000 loan, and believe it or not they said yes.firmly/strongly believe: · I firmly believe that we are responsible for what happens to us in our lives.
to believe something because someone has persuaded you to believe it: · I finally accepted the fact that I would die if I didn't stop smoking.· She succeeded in persuading the jury to accept her version of the events.accept that: · She'll never accept that her husband has been unfaithful.
to believe what someone tells you even though you have no proof of it: · When he told me he'd been in the army, I took his word for it.· "Do you want to check for yourself?" "No, I'll take your word for it."
to believe what someone says even though you think they might not be telling the truth: · Something didn't seem quite right, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.· She claimed she wasn't trying to commit suicide, and doctors gave her the benefit of the doubt.
to accept that what someone tells you is true without asking for any proof, because you have decided to trust them: · I'm afraid I can't let you see the letter, so you'll just have to take what I'm saying on trust.· He said he'd never been in trouble before, which I was content to take on trust.
to believe what someone says or what you read, without thinking that it may have another meaning: · Netta accepted Amelia's explanation at face value and didn't ask any more questions.· The letter, if we take it at face value, suggests that Richard is quite happy in his job.
informal to believe a reason or explanation, especially one that is not very likely to be true - use this especially in negatives and questions: · We could tell him it was an accident, but he'd never buy it.· "He said he was with friends last night." "Are you going to buy that?"
to stop trying to win to stop playing, fighting, or trying to succeed because you know you will lose, especially after you have struggled to succeed for a long time: · The four climbers were eventually forced to admit defeat when weather conditions made it impossible to continue.· She simply refuses to accept defeat, no matter how bad things seem.
to stop playing, fighting, arguing etc because you know that you are not good enough to win: · Marie's stubborn, and she doesn't give in easily.give in to: · I figured if we gave in to them this time, they'd be back for another fight. · In the end, I had to give in to dad -- he's usually right anyway.
to officially say that you want to stop fighting in a war because you realize that you cannot win: · Finally, on April 16th, the enemy surrendered.surrender to: · 19 rebels hiding in the Czech embassy surrendered to the authorities.
to admit that you are not going to win a battle, argument, or game because you are not strong enough or good enough to win: · Eventually, the chairman was forced to concede and announce his resignation.· "Sam, you have to apologise to her" -- "I know," Sam conceded grudgingly.concede defeat (=admit you are defeated): · Matthew kept on arguing his point, unwilling to concede defeat.concede that: · Environmentalists concede that it will not be easy to persuade car drivers to use their vehicles less often.concede to: · We both had a point, but neither of us would concede to the other.
to reject an offer or suggestion to say no very firmly to an offer or suggestion. Reject is more formal than not accept and say no: · Lauren rejected her parents' offer of financial help.· She rejected the idea that she should sue him.· The Secretary of State offered his resignation, which the President promptly rejected.
to say no to an offer or invitation, especially because you think it would not be right to accept it: · She's given us all this stuff and she won't accept any money for it.· I decided not to accept their invitation.· Laney wouldn't accept what he considered an insulting pay offer.
especially spoken not accept an offer or suggestion: · I asked him if he wanted a drink, but he said no.· I'll offer to buy it from her, but I expect she'll say no.say no to: · Mrs. Hill, still mentally alert, said no to any suggestions of further operations.
to say you do not want something that you have been offered: · The offer was so good how could I refuse?· He never refuses a drink, does he?refuse to do something: · Ms. Knight refused to accept the manager's apology.flatly refuse: · He flatly refuses any offers of financial help.
to say no to an offer - use this especially when someone refuses a good offer or opportunity, and this is surprising: turn somebody/something down: · They offered her a really good job, but she turned it down.· He said he'd help her with her training, but she turned him down.turn down somebody/something: · If you turn down the opportunity to go to college, you'll always regret it.
formal to say no politely when someone invites you to do something: · Mr Casey regrets that he will have to decline your kind invitation owing to a prior engagement.· The bishop was invited to attend the opening ceremony, but he declined.decline to do something: · The Prime Minister was asked for his opinion but declined to comment.
spoken use this to tell someone that you cannot accept their invitation at the time they have suggested, but would like to do it at some time in the future: · "How about dinner tonight?" "Sorry -- I'll have to take a rain check on that."
to state very firmly that you do not agree with something · The belief that the children of working mothers suffer is rejected by most child psychologists.· The audience is free to accept or reject Stone's interpretation of the facts.reject a suggestion/idea/notion etc that · Bush rejected suggestions that his tax cuts favored the most wealthy.· The author rejected accusations that his novel is blasphemous, but apologized for any offense it had caused.
to not accept a statement, explanation, or decision because you think it is wrong or untrue: · Our managers claim the new system will increase efficiency but I don't accept that.· He said he wouldn't accept any excuses for missing the deadline.
to refuse to accept someone's opinions, suggestions, proof etc without even considering it: · The judge dismissed most of the police evidence, saying it was clearly fabricated.· One leader dismissed the conference's findings on the environment as unproven.dismiss something out of hand (=dismiss completely without any consideration at all): · The argument for higher tariffs cannot be dismissed out of hand.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYnouns I fully accept that what he says is true. The plants are generally regarded as weeds. a generally accepted view Birth is a natural process, and should be treated as such. These arguments were not universally accepted.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
· In the end I had to accept his offer of £4,500.
· Are you going to accept their invitation to the wedding?
· Don’t be afraid to accept help if you need it.
· Egypt gratefully accepted American economic aid.
· They were ready to accept French military assistance.
· To protect the environment we must accept some difficult challenges.
· Miller accepted the award for best comedy show.
· I wish that I’d accepted the opportunity to retire when it was offered.
· Accepting presents from him made her feel uncomfortable.
· She was desperate for money so she accepted the job.
British English, accept a ride American English· I had been taught not to accept lifts from strangers.
· The president’s family and friends accepted massive bribes in exchange for official favours.
adverbs· She invited him for a drink and he gladly accepted.
· He gratefully accepted Athena’s help.
· She accepted her gift graciously.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· Please accept my apologies for having to cancel our meeting.
· The college refused to accept my application.
· The auctioneer may refuse to accept any bid below a certain price.
(=say that something is your fault)· No one was prepared to take the blame for the disaster.· Parents must shoulder the blame if their kids behave badly.
· Bookings can only be accepted on receipt of a deposit.
· Any officials who accept bribes will face criminal charges.
(=allow you to pay by card)· Big hotels will accept most cards.
(=try to deal with one)· He was ready to accept new challenges.
(=take a cheque as a form of payment)· We only accept cheques if you have a bank card.
· Many scientists were reluctant to accept his claims.
(=show that you are pleased to have been given a compliment)· She accepted his compliment graciously.
· It would be advantageous for both countries to accept a compromise.
· He refused to accept the conditions set by the rebel leader.
(=understand and deal with them)· I’m prepared to accept the consequences of my decision.
· Saying 'thank you' and 'please' is an accepted convention.
(=allow it and learn from it)· Very few people know how to accept criticism.
(=agree to have something reduced)· Some employees were forced to take pay cuts.
· It can be very hard to accept defeat.
· Someone must be at home to accept the delivery.
· She didn’t believe his excuse for one minute.
(=agree that something exists)· They organization finally acknowledged the existence of a problem.
(=believe that it is true or correct)· The court accepted her explanation.
· Being able to accept failure is part of life.
· I had no choice but to resign myself to my fate.
I fully accept that what he says is true. The plants are generally regarded as weeds. a generally accepted view· Sam accepted the gift on behalf of the school.
· She accepted his invitation to dinner.
· The company accepts no liability for any loss, inconvenience, or delay caused by a cancellation of train services.
· Take pride in your achievements, but accept your limitations.
(=agree that a reason is correct)· The government should accept this logic and exempt all students from paying the tax.
· Lieberman accepted the nomination as the vice-presidential candidate.
· Probably 95% of scientists now accept the notion that human activity is causing climate change.
(=an idea that most people believe)· These women challenged accepted notions of female roles in society.
(=say yes to it)· Are you going to accept their offer?
· The proposal was approved by the committee.
· The president accepted the report’s recommendations.
· Twenty staff members took voluntary redundancy.
· The prime minister reluctantly accepted his resignation.
· To his credit, he took responsibility for his actions.
Birth is a natural process, and should be treated as such. (=do what is suggested)· The issue was finally settled when Amelia’s suggestion was adopted.
· Our pride kept us from admitting the truth.
These arguments were not universally accepted.· Unless parents fully accept the child, the burden of pain and failure will be passed on.· Yet he could not fully accept it.· A lesson had been learned, but not fully accepted im-mediately, and it was enormously frustrating.· Resolving this conflict was critical in fully accepting the responsibility in being a manager and developing credibility.· Nowadays we fully accept short sight.· But that big, awful secret from her past prevents Lisa from fully accepting his love.
· It was coming to be generally accepted by 1880 that the state was the proper political expression of the nation.· You might be surprised how difficult it is to develop a generally accepted definition of this most widely used political concept.· That is to say, your study will provide you with the knowledge that is generally accepted as making up the subject.· Not that there was a generally accepted view of how, they might be different.· That period over, there is a stage of continued high growth when the dominance of the new technology is generally accepted.· The media continue to publish favorable reports on prediction claims that are not generally accepted by the scientific community.· Well-known rule here, and generally accepted.· Under generally accepted accounting principles, companies may use straight-line or one of the accelerated methods of depreciation for financial accounting purposes.
· They would never accept him back.· He did it on philosophical grounds, and never accepted the medal or the money.· Never accept ActiveX controls unless you're absolutely positive they're from a reputable firm.· Never accept a lift from some one you've just met!· Profit for financial investors was allowed to encourage their investment; but it was never accepted as the purpose of the corporation.· Nomatterhow strong the historical evidence for the resurrection, we shall never accept it.· When he died I was so sad, not just because he died but because he never accepted the Lord.
· Consistently, the results indicate that this mixture is readily accepted by the plant.· Yet they readily accepted Joseph Alsop when he arrived in 1902.· One readily accepts this interpretative excellent, but what is the cost?· In accepting both what I like and don't like in her, I can more readily accept both aspects in myself.· Those who have differing political philosophies may readily accept and utilise a concept of proportionality.· What is more, painful remedies have been most readily accepted from those governments unburdened by past mistakes and old dogmas.· Now, I was more readily accepted by my black friends than my white friends.· This document won praise from the liberal majority at the Council, and was readily accepted, subject to a few amendments.
· That is widely accepted by all those involved in health and safety both in Britain and throughout the world.· Yet the reaction to date does not suggest that this idea has been widely accepted.· The importance of incremental learning in some aspects of the curriculum is now widely accepted.· I had memorized those few facts widely accepted by Princeton undergraduates to be part of an investment banking interview survival kit.· The retirement impact hypothesis appeared to spread quickly and to be widely accepted, particularly in governmental and other widely disseminated documents.· It soon became widely accepted that Mercury, like the Moon facing Earth, always kept the same side facing the Sun.· However, through the 1950s and early 1960s it became widely accepted by biologists.· It is still widely accepted today.
NOUN· And the woman, believed to be a pretty mum in her twenties, has accepted his apology.· I want to say I do accept his apology.· And I've accepted your apology.· Again, please accept our apologies.· Please accept our apologies if any event or occasion was overlooked.· Please accept our apologies for taking so long to send the materials that you requested.· Of course we accept his apologies with every grace.
· Somehow they must find the courage to accept the challenge.· So he has accepted their challenge to run a marathon in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 45 seconds to qualify.· Oh yes, just like him, we're going out there to win, to accept the challenge with a will.· Mayor Willie Brown, rather than accepting the challenge, shifted the onus back on recalcitrant neighbors.· In an attempt to copy her sister Sarah's exploits she accepted a challenge which nearly got her expelled.· It required a trader to accept all challenges.· This puts theology in a much stronger position to accept the challenge posed by historians and philosophers.· The Marquis does not wish to accept the challenge from an old man but Juan insists.
· I've learned to accept the fact of being a rock star and how big the band's become.· At some point Rudi seemed to have accepted the fact that he would never satisfy his intellectual ambitions.· Arthur soon accepted the fact that he would have to settle for second best.· Refuse to accept the fact that the gambolling lamb in the field is their future Sunday lunch.· Today, very late, we are coming to accept the fact that the harvest of renewable resources must be controlled.· Sadly, she accepted the fact that there was now little chance of a tête-à-tête.· Any city manager accepts the fact that he or she is at the mercy of the council majority, he said.
· The child increasingly is capable of evaluating arguments rather than simply accepting preformed unilateral ideas.· The decline of infant mortality makes it easier to accept the idea of smaller family size.· When you accept new ideas in the course of a compromise, you benefit. 3.· My father would not accept the idea.· Not everyone accepts the idea of the Neolithic period as woman-centered.· Are the group members flexible enough to accept ideas and opinions different from their own?· But if the people who accepted the idea of wartime service for their sons expected honor or understanding, they were mistaken.
· Two hundred of them accepted the invitation, ending their visit with tea and scones in the school hall.· She had accepted the invitation as a walk on the very wild side.· We have asked you here and you have accepted our invitation.· Alvin accepted the invitation and planned for the tour with all his usual energy and sense of organization.· Perhaps she had already compromised herself beyond recall by accepting the invitation.· We decided on the way home that we would accept no more such invitations.· So far, there has not been a great rush to accept the president's invitation, now several years old.
· You do not have to accept this offer, but it makes sense to do so.· He retired from the Navy in 1979 to accept an offer to be president of the Citadel military college in South Carolina.· However, Richard Baxter was hesitant to accept this offer for other reasons also.· They're selling off their shares for cash rather than accepting Wanadoo's offer of 0.225 shares for every Freeserve share.· In his Charlton days, Lawrence was forced to accept any reasonable offer to ease the club's financial crisis.· It was not until two years later, however, that Clark accepted Chapman's offer to join the team.· They might therefore be fearful of losing out if they accept a tender offer prematurely.· Your Directors certainly have no intention of accepting the offer in respect of their own shareholdings.
· That episcopal ordination made one a member of the episcopal college was accepted in principle by the second session.· Under generally accepted accounting principles, companies may use straight-line or one of the accelerated methods of depreciation for financial accounting purposes.· I think Mr. Lloyd accepted, in principle, that that would be so.· The term generally accepted accounting principles is somewhat debatable in the field of financial accounting.· It is accepted that the Rechsstaat principle is implied by Article 20.· Once Asquith had accepted the principle of state-financed pensions he had to decide to whom they should be paid.· He has accepted it in principle, which does him great credit.· Councillors yesterday accepted the idea in principle after a presentation by Homesmith.
· Under this threat, Churchill sent a long reply on 28 November, explaining why Britain could not accept Berle's proposals.· How could she accept the proposal of a man she had known for only a few weeks.· As we have seen, there are good reasons for accepting this proposal.· They are demanding that Clinton accept much of their proposal before they will increase the debt ceiling limit.· Campaigners now hope parish councillors will abandon their scheme for 30 new lights and accept alternative proposals instead.· Then his girlfriend decides to accept the marriage proposal of an-other man.· There has never been any reason why the United States should accept this type of proposal.· The Shah seemed to Sullivan to accept the proposal.
· But the council, the majority of which backs Byrd, never accepted the resignation, an apparent violation of state law.· How different things are now than in 1992, when President Bush refused to accept the resignation of Adm.· Finally, on June 29, Pérez accepted the resignations of six Cabinet ministers and five more junior government members.· I must beg therefore to give up the appointment and request you to accept my Resignation.· President Yeltsin overruled their objections on his return from holiday, and refused to accept Saburov's resignation in protest.
· We too need to accept the responsibility to act peacefully and protest constructively.· We are either to have an Army of soldiers or he will not accept the responsibility for the Army.· But the Government had to face the realities and accept responsibilities, he said.· Anyway, I accepted responsibility and apologized and expressed deep remorse.· The Independent Labour Party was thus forced to accept full responsibility for continuing the dispute.· The parents accepted their responsibility for helping Mark, but in spite of their efforts, the problem worsened.· The average human being learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but to seek responsibility.· And Mayleas has accepted the responsibility of finding the money.
· It is difficult in this case not to accept the view of the.· Not that there was a generally accepted view of how, they might be different.· Mr. Dunn Does my hon. Friend accept my view that the Labour party would really like tied workers living in tied cottages?· This used to be a widely accepted view.· Labour and the Liberal Democrats appear to accept without question the view that our constitution is absurdly out of date.· The Catholic sector is unable to accept such a view.· The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and government ministers accept this view.· Obviously Mr Lamont accepts this view and the overall balance he has struck would seem to be right.
VERB· One analysis is that a party to the Protocol has agreed to accept some treaty obligations.· The senators started at one hundred thousand, but agreed to accept seventy-five thousand.· The covenantee can not have both the promised performance and some other performance which he agrees to accept.· Candidates can get around the cap if they agree to accept individual contributions of no more than $ 150· Semen infected with hepatitis or syphilis can be donated, but only if a woman agrees to accept it.· Lucille got to talking with the defendant, Freddy Mack, and agreed to accept a ride home.· She identified the most likely candidate as Leach, who, she said, had agreed to accept her nomination.· President Reagan agreed to accept tax increases immediately in exchange for spending cuts to be named later.
· Families who are desperate for housing are forced to accept bad housing offers simply because they have no other choice.· The mediator merely functions as a facilitator and has no legal power to force the parties to accept these suggestions.· In his Charlton days, Lawrence was forced to accept any reasonable offer to ease the club's financial crisis.· Now that she was forced to accept that she hadn't, Celia began to panic.· They forced her not to accept the house.· Paling forces the reader to accept that resolution is not always possible.· My father threatened to punish them, so they were forced to accept my company.· This true type, having found her man, was forced to accept that biology was indeed destiny.
· Officials are preparing new figures after accepting that estimates by their own consultants, Touche Ross, are inaccurate.· But Edwards, who was prepared to accept £10 million from Knighton, is believed to want nearer £30 million now.· The Treasury was prepared to accept this provided there was no commitment to immediate action.· The regents were not prepared to accept such returns.· Locke was evidently not prepared to accept this.· People who six months ago might have been on £25,000 a year are now prepared to accept considerably less.· If they are not prepared to accept them jointly, they should not have children at all.· There are opportunities here for solicitors who are prepared to accept that the conveyancing service can be better delivered.
· So deeply ingrained is our instinct to search for a pattern that we refuse to accept any input as genuinely random.· Tenants who refuse to accept leases are given notice to quit and find themselves on the streets after years of loyal service.· But he refused to accept such a fate.· They refused to accept Morgan's assertion that the gens and group marriage were characteristic of the earlier human societies.· Herbert 92X refused to accept a plea bargain, since he regarded what had happened as an accident.· Because of its sometimes precarious economic position, no rank would refuse to accept the king's wage.· A civilization generally refuses to accept a cultural innovation that calls in question one of its own structural elements.
· It seems to be accepted that peers are not expected to contact the Lord Chancellor's department before they speak extrajudicially in public.· At some point Rudi seemed to have accepted the fact that he would never satisfy his intellectual ambitions.· Now that we were adults, she seemed to accept me as a friend.· But Chiron did do this and Zeus seems to have accepted him as a substitute.· We seem unable to accept the world as it is.· But the Bruins seemed to accept their plight, rather than challenge it, and that may have most distressed Harrick.· Mr Howie does not, but seems to have accepted that the criticism has ruined his board's plans.· They seem to accept his new role, primarily as a power forward, and marveled at his increased bulk.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
- All you can do in such cases is accept responsibility for the emotions you feel when you are around such people.
- Governors need to inform themselves thoroughly about the current state of the school building before they accept responsibility for it.
- If people are to accept responsibility for outcomes, they will insist upon being substantively included in the decision process.
- May we learn to accept responsibility for our own actions and inactions and for our mistakes as well as for our success.
- One central committee member, Ognjen Krstulovic, resigned because he could not accept responsibility for the implementation of the policy.
- People in a position of influence could accept responsibility for implementing the results.
- These must be obtained personally and we can not accept responsibility for them.
- You have to accept responsibility for the fruits of your actions, in the scientific field as elsewhere.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveacceptable ≠ unacceptableacceptednounacceptanceverbacceptadverbacceptably ≠ unacceptably
1gift/offer/invitation [intransitive, transitive] to take something that someone offers you, or to agree to do something that someone asks you to do OPP refuse: Rick accepted her offer of coffee. He accepted the invitation to stay with us. His school reports said that he is always ready to accept a challenge (=agree to do something difficult). Please accept this small gift. They offered me a job and I accepted.accept something from somebody He accepted a glass of water from Helen. He readily accepted her invitation (=accepted it quickly).RegisterIn everyday English, when talking about accepting a job, accepting responsibility or blame, or accepting a method of payment, people usually use take: They offered me the job and I accepted. ➔ They offered me the job and I took it.When talking about accepting an offer, people often say take someone up on their offer:· He decided to take her up on her offer.2situation/problem etc [transitive] to decide that there is nothing you can do to change a difficult and unpleasant situation or fact and continue with your normal life: He’s not going to change, and you just have to accept it.accept that We have to accept that this is not an ideal world. He can't accept the fact that his problems are his own fault.3think somebody/something is good enough [transitive] to decide that someone has the necessary skill or intelligence for a particular job, course etc or that a piece of work is good enough OPP reject: Students accepted by Stanford Law School had very high scores on the LSAT.accept somebody/something as something They have accepted him as the representative of the company.accept somebody/something for something Random House accepted the book for publication.4become part of a group [transitive] to allow someone to become part of a group, society, or organization, and to treat them in the same way as the other members OPP rejectaccept somebody as something The children gradually began to accept her as one of the family.accept somebody into something It often takes years for immigrants to be accepted into the host community.5agree to take/deal with something [transitive] to agree to take or deal with something that someone gives you, or to say that it is suitable or good enough: The government has accepted the resignation of a senior army commander. Please accept my sincere apologies. Sorry, we don’t accept traveller’s cheques.6suggestion/advice [transitive] to decide to do what someone suggests or advises you should do: Be prepared to accept the advice of members of staff.7believe an explanation/statement [transitive] to agree that what someone says is right or true OPP reject: She has accepted your explanation as to why you didn’t attend the meeting.► see thesaurus at believeGRAMMARIn more formal English, you say it is accepted that when saying what people generally believe is true: · It is accepted that he was sincere in his claim.8accept responsibility/blame for something to admit that you were responsible for something bad that happened: The University will not accept responsibility for items lost or stolen.GRAMMAR: Comparisonaccept• You accept something: · She decided to accept the offer.· I accepted his invitation to have dinner with him. ✗Don’t say: I accepted to have dinner with him.agree• You agree to something: · Her parents would never agree to the marriage. ✗Don’t say: Her parents would never agree the marriage.• You agree to do something: · I agreed to have dinner with him.COLLOCATIONSnounsaccept an offer· In the end I had to accept his offer of £4,500.accept an invitation· Are you going to accept their invitation to the wedding?accept help· Don’t be afraid to accept help if you need it.accept aid· Egypt gratefully accepted American economic aid.accept assistance· They were ready to accept French military assistance.accept a challenge· To protect the environment we must accept some difficult challenges.accept an award· Miller accepted the award for best comedy show.accept an opportunity· I wish that I’d accepted the opportunity to retire when it was offered.accept a gift/present· Accepting presents from him made her feel uncomfortable.accept a job· She was desperate for money so she accepted the job.accept a lift British English, accept a ride American English· I had been taught not to accept lifts from strangers.accept a bribe· The president’s family and friends accepted massive bribes in exchange for official favours.adverbsgladly/willingly/readily accept· She invited him for a drink and he gladly accepted.gratefully accept· He gratefully accepted Athena’s help.graciously accept· She accepted her gift graciously.