embrace

noun

/ɪmˈbreɪs/

(formal)

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[countable] an act of putting your arms around somebody as a sign of love or friendship
- He held her in a warm embrace.
- There were tears and embraces as they said goodbye.
[uncountable] the act of accepting an idea, a proposal, a set of beliefs, etc, especially when it is done with enthusiasm
- the country’s eager embrace of modern technology

embrace

verb

/ɪmˈbreɪs/

(formal)

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they embrace	/ɪmˈbreɪs/ /ɪmˈbreɪs/
he / she / it embraces	/ɪmˈbreɪsɪz/ /ɪmˈbreɪsɪz/
past simple embraced	/ɪmˈbreɪst/ /ɪmˈbreɪst/
past participle embraced	/ɪmˈbreɪst/ /ɪmˈbreɪst/
-ing form embracing	/ɪmˈbreɪsɪŋ/ /ɪmˈbreɪsɪŋ/

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[intransitive, transitive] to put your arms around somebody as a sign of love or friendship synonym hug
- They embraced and promised to keep in touch.
- embrace somebody She embraced her son warmly.
- He rose from his chair and embraced her warmly.
Topics Family and relationshipsb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- tightly
- warmly
- gently
- …
See full entry
[transitive] embrace something to accept an idea, a proposal, a set of beliefs, etc., especially when it is done with enthusiasm
- to embrace democracy/feminism/Islam
- It is unlikely that such countries will embrace capitalist ideas.
Extra Examples
- the only party which fully embraces the concept of a united Europe
- Soccer has become more widely embraced by Americans.
- She embraced the feminist cause with enthusiasm.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- genuinely
- really
- truly
- …
See full entry
[transitive] embrace something to include something
- The talks embraced a wide range of issues.
- The word ‘mankind’ embraces men, women and children.
- Decisions were made by reaching a consensus embracing all sectors of the financial community.

Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘encircle, surround, enclose’; formerly also as imbrace): from Old French embracer, based on Latin in- ‘in’ + bracchium ‘arm’.