accept
verb
ac·cept ik-ˈsept 
ak-,
also ek-
accepted; accepting; accepts
transitive verb
1
a
: to receive (something offered) willingly
accept a gift
b
: to be able or designed to take or hold (something applied or added)
a surface that will not accept ink
2
: to give admittance or approval to
accept her as one of the group
3
a
: to endure without protest or reaction
accept poor living conditions
b
: to regard as proper, normal, or inevitable
an idea that is widely accepted
c
: to recognize as true : believe
refused to accept the explanation
4
a
: to make a favorable response to
accept an offer
b
: to agree to undertake (a responsibility)
accept a job
5
: to assume an obligation to pay
also : to take in payment
we don't accept personal checks
6
of a deliberative body : to receive (a legislative report) officially
intransitive verb
: to receive favorably something offered —usually used with of
a heart more disposed to accept of his—
Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Synonyms
- have
- take
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
When Bess was born, my mother had a hard time accepting many of our parenting choices. —Kelly Coyle DiNorcia, Mothering, March & April 2008 Despite Alexander's general skepticism about speed measurements, he does accept the cheetah as probably the fastest known running species. The measurement he finds most reliable, 29 m/s (about 65 mph), comes from a 1997 record along a 200-meter course clocked by an experienced timekeeper for athletic races. —Susan Milius, Science News, 16 Aug. 2008 The Edinburgh Christ in the House of Martha and Mary doesn't look like a Vermeer, although its signature has been accepted as genuine. —James Fenton, New York Review of Books, 6 Nov. 2008 They offered him the job, and he accepted it. They offered him the job, and he accepted. The store doesn't accept credit cards. a surface that will not accept ink a computer program ready to accept commands They accepted some applications and rejected others. She's still trying to get her manuscript accepted for publication. They refused to accept his resignation. a word that has come to be accepted as standard This treatment is now accepted by many doctors. See More
Kelly Coyle DiNorcia, Mothering, March & April 2008 Despite Alexander's general skepticism about speed measurements, he does accept the cheetah as probably the fastest known running species. The measurement he finds most reliable, 29 m/s (about 65 mph), comes from a 1997 record along a 200-meter course clocked by an experienced timekeeper for athletic races. —Susan Milius, Science News, 16 Aug. 2008 The Edinburgh Christ in the House of Martha and Mary doesn't look like a Vermeer, although its signature has been accepted as genuine. —James Fenton, New York Review of Books, 6 Nov. 2008 They offered him the job, and he accepted it. They offered him the job, and he accepted. The store doesn't accept credit cards. a surface that will not accept ink a computer program ready to accept commands They accepted some applications and rejected others. She's still trying to get her manuscript accepted for publication. They refused to accept his resignation. a word that has come to be accepted as standard This treatment is now accepted by many doctors. See More Recent Examples on the Web The business helps nearly 1 million merchants around the world accept payments, processing more than 100 million transactions every day. —Jennifer Surane, Bloomberg.com, 13 Feb. 2023 The Warriors will accept the trade despite Payton failing a post-trade physical, which revealed a significant core muscle injury that could sideline the 30-year-old for up to three months. —C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2023 Does SugarHouse accept online banking (ACH) deposits? —Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2023 This special report doesn’t offer, or accept, any excuses. —Edward Kiersh, SPIN, 11 Feb. 2023 Mexican officials would not comment on their willingness to accept formal deportations, or the nature of their conversations with their U.S. counterparts on future migration agreements. —Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2023 In an echo of the rioters who violently stormed the U.S. capitol, the insurrection in Brazil was fueled by a refusal to accept the country's recent election results. —Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2023 As a result, there’s the potential for a case to absolutely break the public’s willingness to accept court decisions, and the union in the process. —Brynn Tannehill, The New Republic, 11 Jan. 2023 Hundreds of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed three of the most emblematic official buildings in the country's capital over refusal to accept the results of the election. —Byaicha El Hammar Castano, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2023 See More
Jennifer Surane, Bloomberg.com, 13 Feb. 2023 The Warriors will accept the trade despite Payton failing a post-trade physical, which revealed a significant core muscle injury that could sideline the 30-year-old for up to three months. —C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2023 Does SugarHouse accept online banking (ACH) deposits? —Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2023 This special report doesn’t offer, or accept, any excuses. —Edward Kiersh, SPIN, 11 Feb. 2023 Mexican officials would not comment on their willingness to accept formal deportations, or the nature of their conversations with their U.S. counterparts on future migration agreements. —Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2023 In an echo of the rioters who violently stormed the U.S. capitol, the insurrection in Brazil was fueled by a refusal to accept the country's recent election results. —Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2023 As a result, there’s the potential for a case to absolutely break the public’s willingness to accept court decisions, and the union in the process. —Brynn Tannehill, The New Republic, 11 Jan. 2023 Hundreds of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed three of the most emblematic official buildings in the country's capital over refusal to accept the results of the election. —Byaicha El Hammar Castano, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2023 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English accepten "to receive graciously, favor, approve of, judge worthy," borrowed from Anglo-French accepter, borrowed from Medieval Latin acceptāre, going back to Latin, "to receive regularly, submit to, admit of," frequentative of accipere "to take, receive, accept, learn, interpret," from ad- ad- + capere "to take" — more at heave entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Phrases Containing accept
Kids Definition
accept
verb ac·cept ik-ˈsept
ak-
1
a
: to receive or take willingly
accept a gift
accepted her as a member
b
: to be able or designed to take or hold (something applied or added)
a surface that will not accept ink
a computer program ready to accept commands
2
a
: to agree to
accept an offer
b
: to agree to undertake (a responsibility)
accept a job
c
: to take on an obligation to pay
also : to take in payment
don't accept checks
3
: to think of as proper or normal
the idea is widely accepted
accepter noun
or acceptor
-ˈsep-tər
Legal Definition
accept
transitive verb ac·cept ik-ˈsept, ak-
1
a
: to receive with consent
accept a gift
accept service
b
: to assent to the receipt of and treat in such a way as to indicate ownership of
accepted the shipment despite discovering defects in the merchandise
compare reject Note: Under section 2-606(1) of the Uniform Commercial Code, a buyer accepts goods if: 1) he or she indicates to the seller after a reasonable opportunity to inspect them that he or she will keep them; 2) he or she fails to effectively reject them; 3) he or she acts in a way that is inconsistent with the seller's ownership of the goods.
2
: to make an affirmative or favorable response to
specifically : to indicate by words or action one's assent to (an offer) and willingness to enter into a contract
Note: A contract is created when the offer is accepted.
3
: to assume orally, in writing, or by conduct an obligation to pay
accepting a draft
4
of a deliberative body : to receive (a report) officially (as from a committee)
intransitive verb
1
: to receive favorably something offered —usually used with of
no person…shall…accept of any present—U.S. Constitution art. I
U.S. Constitution art. I2
: to receive and assume ownership of goods
under section 2-606(1), buyer has accepted if he has done any of the acts described therein—J. J. White and R. S. Summers
J. J. White and R. S. Summers acceptance
ik-ˈsep-təns, ak-
noun accepter noun
or acceptor
-tər
accept
verb
1
as in to have
to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly some merchants in town will accept Canadian coins Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- have
- take
- adopt
- confirm
- tolerate
- ratify
- sanction
- welcome
- embrace
- swallow
- endure
- abide
- warrant
- stand
- countenance
- support
- sustain
- okay
- sweat out
- stick out
- accede (to)
- concede (to)
- shoulder
- consent (to)
- stomach
- OK
- assent (to)
- succumb (to)
- brook
- submit (to)
- capitulate (to)
- bow (to)
- acquiesce (to)
- yield (to)
- give in (to)
- surrender (to)
- bear
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- refuse
- reject
- deny
- negative
- oppose
- decline
- disapprove
- resist
- spurn
- disallow
- object (to)
- withstand
- dissent (to)
- protest
- veto
- turn down
- fight
- combat
- contest
- hold off
2
as in to tolerate
to have a favorable opinion of her husband feels that he has never been truly accepted by his wife's family Synonyms & Similar Words
- tolerate
- support
- countenance
- favor
- like
- applaud
- hold with
- go for
- enjoy
- okay
- approve (of)
- uphold
- take kindly to
- OK
- sustain
- salute
- praise
- endure
- recommend
- subscribe (to)
- laud
- stand by
- care (for)
- acclaim
- commend
- bear
- concur (in)
- consent (to)
- assent (to)
- back (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- criticize
- condemn
- denounce
- disapprove (of)
- disparage
- frown (on or upon)
- deprecate
- hate
- discountenance
- dislike
- oppose
- censure
- depreciate
- mind
- damn
- disfavor
- detest
- loathe
- reprehend
- object (to)
- reprobate
- dissent (from)
- blacklist
3
as in to believe
to regard as right or true refused to accept that her friend had said those mean things Synonyms & Similar Words
- believe
- understand
- take
- trust
- swallow
- buy
- credit
- assume
- presume
- account
- set store on
- suppose
- accredit
- deduce
- conclude
- set store by
- infer
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- reject
- doubt
- discredit
- suspect
- question
- disbelieve
- challenge
- distrust
- dispute
- mistrust
- misdoubt
4
as in to assume
to take to or upon oneself accepted the responsibility of sending out the invitations Synonyms & Similar Words
- assume
- shoulder
- embrace
- undertake
- bear
- adopt
- acquiesce
- take over
- endorse
- accede
- agree
- uphold
- advocate
- support
- assent
- consent
- take up
- espouse
- stand by
- back
- indorse
- champion
- reaccept
- reassume
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- refuse
- reject
- withdraw
- repudiate
- renounce
- disavow
- disclaim
- retract
- recant
- take back
- abjure
- spurn
- avoid
- decline
- turn down
- refrain (from)
- disown
- relinquish
- forbear
- abandon
- abstain (from)
- bypass
- spurn
- surrender
- forsake
- unsay
- give up
- detour
- backtrack
- back down
- back off
- abnegate
5
as in to endure
to put up with (something painful or difficult) he accepted all of life's vicissitudes without complaint Synonyms & Similar Words
- tolerate
- endure
- handle
- stand
- take
- absorb
- sustain
- bear
- abide
- swallow
- stomach
- meet
- support
- countenance
- wear
- stand for
- sweat out
- stick out
- live with
- bide
- suffer
- go
- allow
- hack
- permit
- brook
- pocket
- tough it out
- acquiesce
- capitulate
- respect
- lump (it)
- reconcile (to)
- submit (to)
- agree (with or to)
- consent (to)
- yield (to)
- assent (to)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- refuse
- reject
- dismiss
- repudiate
- oppose
- resist
- decline
- avoid
- fight
- spurn
- combat
- escape
- contest
- evade
- turn down
- miss
- circumvent
- bypass
- refrain (from)
- elude
- dodge
- forbear
- abstain (from)