acceptation
/ˌaksɛpˈteɪʃ(ə)n
/noun
A particular sense or the generally recognized meaning (common acceptation) of a word or phrase.If a traveler comes here from Ethiopia, from Australia, or from Great Britain,… he has a right to the protection of the laws, but he is not a citizen in the ordinary acceptation of the word....
- He would now be quite interested in the various usages of the term, its numerous acceptations and definitions, and the way it has infiltrated the discourse in and on the arts.
- Nonspecialists may also be confused by Riegl's use of style concepts like Mannerism and Baroque and other technical terms in senses that differ somewhat from their customary present acceptations.
Origin
Late Middle English (originally in the sense 'favourable reception, approval'): from late Latin acceptatio(n-), from the verb acceptare (see accept). The current sense dates from the early 17th century.