Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense accepts, present participle accepting, past tense, past participle accepted
1. verb
If you accept something that you have been offered, you say yes to it or agree to take it.
Eventually Sam persuaded her to accept an offer of marriage. [VERB noun]
Your old clothes will be gratefully accepted by jumble sale organisers. [VERB noun]
All those invited to next week's peace conference have accepted. [VERB]
Synonyms: receive, take, gain, pick up More Synonyms of accept
2. verb
If you accept an idea, statement, or fact, you believe that it is true or valid.
I do not accept that there is any kind of crisis in British science. [VERB that]
I don't think they would accept that view. [VERB noun]
He did not accept this reply as valid. [VERB noun + as]
...a workforce generally accepted to have the best conditions in Europe. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: acknowledge, believe, allow, admit More Synonyms of accept
3. verb
If you accept a plan or an intended action, you agree to it and allow it to happen.
Accepting the report's proposals would mean a change in church law. [VERB noun]
The Council will meet to decide if it should accept his resignation. [VERB noun]
4. verb
If you accept an unpleasant fact or situation, you get used to it or recognize that it is necessary or cannot be changed.
Some people can accept suffering that can be shown to lead to a greater good. [VERB noun]
Urban dwellers often accept noise as part of city life. [VERB noun + as]
I wasn't willing to accept that her leaving was a possibility. [VERB that]
Synonyms: stand, take, experience, suffer More Synonyms of accept
5. verb
If a person, company, or organization accepts something such as a document, they recognize that it is genuine, correct, or satisfactory and agree to consider it or handle it.
We advised newspapers not to accept the advertising. [VERB noun]
Cheques can only be accepted up to the value guaranteed on the card. [beVERB-ed]
Proof of postage will not be accepted as proof of receipt. [beV-ed as n]
[Also V n as n/adj]
6. verb
If an organization or person accepts you, you are allowed to join the organization or use the services that are offered.
All-male groups will not be accepted. [beVERB-ed]
...incentives to private landlords to accept young people as tenants. [VERB noun + as]
[Also V n into n]
7. verb
If a person or a group of people accepts you, they begin to be friendly towards you and are happy with who you are or what you do.
My grandparents have never had a problem accepting me. [VERB noun]
Many men still have difficulty accepting a woman as a business partner. [VERB noun + as]
Stephen Smith was accepted into the family like an adopted brother. [beVERB-ed + into]
Synonyms: welcome, receive, greet, embrace More Synonyms of accept
8. verb
If you accept the responsibility or blame for something, you recognize that you are responsible for it.
The company cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage. [VERB noun]
9. verb
If you accept someone's advice or suggestion, you agree to do what they say.
The army refused to accept orders from the political leadership. [VERB noun]
Don't automatically accept the solicitor recommended by the broker. [VERB noun]
10. verb
If someone's body accepts a transplanted organ, the organ becomes part of the body and starts to function normally.
...drugs which will fool the body into accepting transplants. [VERB noun]
11. verb
If a machine accepts a particular kind of thing, it is designed to take it and deal with it or process it.
The telephone booths accept 10 and 20 pence coins. [VERB noun]
12. See also accepted
More Synonyms of accept
accept in British English
(əkˈsɛpt)
verb(mainly tr)
1.
to take or receive (something offered)
2.
to give an affirmative reply to
to accept an invitation
3.
to take on the responsibilities, duties, etc, of
she accepted office
4.
to tolerate or accommodate oneself to
5.
to consider as true or believe in (a philosophy, theory, etc)
I cannot accept your argument
6. (may take a clause as object)
to be willing to grant or believe
you must accept that he lied
7.
to receive with approval or admit, as into a community, group, etc
8. business
to agree to pay (a bill, draft, shipping document, etc), esp by signing
9.
to receive as adequate, satisfactory, or valid
10.
to receive, take, or hold (something applied, inserted, etc)
11. (intransitive; sometimes foll byof) archaic
to take or receive an offer, invitation, etc
Derived forms
accepter (acˈcepter)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Latin acceptāre, from ad- to + capere to take
accept in American English
(ækˈsɛpt; əkˈsɛpt)
verb transitive
1.
to take (what is offered or given); receive, esp. willingly
2.
to receive favorably; approve
to accept a theory
3.
to submit to; be resigned to
he had to accept defeat
4.
to believe in
5.
to understand as having a certain meaning
6.
to respond to in the affirmative
to accept an invitation
7.
to admit as a student, member, etc.
8.
to agree to take the responsibilities of (a job, office, etc.)
9.
to receive (a committee report) as satisfactory according to parliamentary procedure
10. Business
to agree, as by a signed promise, to pay
11. Law
to receive with intent to retain and adopt
verb intransitive
12.
to accept something offered
SIMILAR WORDS: reˈceive
Derived forms
accepter (acˈcepter)
noun
Word origin
ME accepten < OFr accepter < L acceptare < pp. stem of accipere < ad-, to + capere, to take: see have
Examples of 'accept' in a sentence
accept
She then agreed to accept the money but give it to charity.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Damage like this makes it very unlikely that a phone company will accept there is a manufacturing fault.
The Sun (2017)
You need support to accept your body as it is now.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The agent accepted he did receive money but through an approved channel.
The Sun (2010)
The company accepts that it will be slow going for some time yet.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Only original vouchers are valid and no photocopies will be accepted.
The Sun (2013)
He was ready to accept any warm body that would say yes.
Christianity Today (2000)
He accepts it is valid and is searching hard for the answers.
The Sun (2008)
The company also accepts that it still has not figured out how best to put advertising on mobile phones.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They discussed it, and agreed he would accept if he were offered a place.
Lucy Moore Liberty: The Lives and Times of Six Women in Revolutionary France (2006)
The board agreed to accept the offer on Friday.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It's far more useful to accept your body shape and eat healthily.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Which of the following projects should the company accept to stay within the $1 million budget?
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
If you accept criticism as valid, say so.
Mansfield, Patricia Why Am I Afraid to be Assertive? (1994)
In addition the lender agreed to accept interest-only payments for six months.
Tondeur, Keith Say Goodbye to Debt (1994)
If its proposal is accepted, the company will be saddled with a higher interest bill.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The judge said the school's governing body accepted that the way it conducted the appeal was unfair.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I accepted this and agreed to forget it.
The Sun (2006)
I love and accept my body completely.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
When he received a letter accepting his first book'it was like getting a letter froman unearthly address.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Friends now accepts it received your request for a transfer before it imposed its moratorium and therefore agrees to the request for a partial transfer.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The individual then received a penalty notice from police and is said to have agreed to accept three points on their licence for the offence.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Although he would not accept or recognize it, he shows many of the signs of self-loathing.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
Society does not, of course, always recognize or accept that individual needs give rise to social problems.
Brown, Muriel & Payne Sarah Introduction to Social Administration in Britain (1990)
Once the problems are recognized and society accepts some degree of commitment in the battle against social evils then, naturally, public expenditure is bound to rise.
Brown, Muriel & Payne Sarah Introduction to Social Administration in Britain (1990)
In other languages
accept
British English: accept /əkˈsɛpt/ VERB
If you accept something that you have been offered, you say yes to it or agree to take it.
Eventually he persuaded her to accept an offer of marriage.
All those invited to next week's peace conference have accepted.
American English: accept
Arabic: يَقْبَلُ
Brazilian Portuguese: aceitar
Chinese: 接受
Croatian: prihvatiti
Czech: přijmout
Danish: acceptere
Dutch: accepteren
European Spanish: aceptar
Finnish: hyväksyä
French: accepter
German: akzeptieren
Greek: δέχομαι
Italian: accettare
Japanese: 受け入れる
Korean: 받아들이다
Norwegian: godta
Polish: przyjąć
European Portuguese: aceitar
Romanian: a accepta
Russian: принять
Latin American Spanish: aceptar
Swedish: acceptera
Thai: ยอมรับ
Turkish: kabul etmek
Ukrainian: приймати
Vietnamese: chấp nhận
All related terms of 'accept'
accept advice
If you give someone advice , you tell them what you think they should do in a particular situation.
accept a job
A job is the work that someone does to earn money.
accept donation
A donation is something which someone gives to a charity or other organization.
accept a card
If a hotel or restaurant accepts a card , they agree that a credit card can be used to pay the bill .
accept an idea
An idea is an opinion or belief about what something is like or should be like.
accept a risk
If an insurance company accepts a risk , it agrees to underwrite a risk or to accept a person or company as a client .
accept criticism
Criticism is the action of expressing disapproval of something or someone. A criticism is a statement that expresses disapproval.
accept liability
If you are liable for something such as a debt , you are legally responsible for it.
accept a challenge
A challenge is something new and difficult which requires great effort and determination .
accept an apology
An apology is something that you say or write in order to tell someone that you are sorry that you have hurt them or caused trouble for them.
accept a position
A position in a company or organization is a job.
accept a reality
The reality of a situation is the truth about it, especially when it is unpleasant or difficult to deal with.
accept responsibility
If you accept responsibility for something that has happened , you agree that you were to blame for it or you caused it.