accept

[ ak-sept, ik- ]

verb (used with object)

1. to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor:

   to accept a present;

   to accept a proposal.

   Antonyms: reject

2. to agree or consent to; accede to:

   to accept a treaty;

   to accept an apology.

   Synonyms: concede

3. to respond or answer affirmatively to:

   to accept an invitation.

4. to undertake the responsibility, duties, honors, etc., of:

   to accept the office of president.

5. to receive or admit formally, as to a college or club.
6. to accommodate or reconcile oneself to:

   to accept the situation.

7. to regard as true or sound; believe:

   to accept a claim;

   to accept Catholicism.

   Synonyms: acknowledge

8. to regard as normal, suitable, or usual.
9. to receive as to meaning; understand.
10. Commerce. to acknowledge, by signature, as calling for payment, and thus to agree to pay, as a draft.
11. (in a deliberative body) to receive as an adequate performance of the duty with which an officer or a committee has been charged; receive for further action:

    The report of the committee was accepted.

12. to receive or contain (something attached, inserted, etc.):

    This socket won't accept a three-pronged plug.

13. to receive (a transplanted organ or tissue) without adverse reaction. Compare reject ( def 7 ).

verb (used without object)

1. to accept an invitation, gift, position, etc. (sometimes followed by of ).

accept

/ əkˈsɛpt /

verb

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

   he 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. commerce 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. archaic.
    intrsometimes foll byof to take or receive an offer, invitation, etc

Confusables Note

The verbs accept and except are sometimes confused because of their similar pronunciations, especially in rapid speech. Accept means “to take or receive” ( I accept this trophy ), while except means “to exclude” ( Certain types of damage are excepted from coverage in this insurance policy ).

Derived Forms

• acˈcepter, noun

Other Words From

• pre·ac·cept verb
• re·ac·cept verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of accept¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English accepten, from Middle French accepter, from Latin acceptāre “to take, receive regularly,” frequentative of accipere “to take, receive,” equivalent to ac- ac- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”; captive ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of accept¹

C14: from Latin acceptāre, from ad- to + capere to take

Example Sentences

What Kenya’s first evangelical Christian president is having to accept is that the churches he used so successfully to take state house could well help unseat him in the next election.

From BBC

Before accepting the job, Roberts faced questions about why she would take on such a daunting challenge.

From Los Angeles Times

In a recent case, a judge accepted there had been “a lack of transparency” when SFM was employed to do roof repairs and said there were “significant concerns about the quality of the works”.

From BBC

His supporters, who refused to accept the outcome of the election, stormed Brazil's Congress, the presidential palace and the building housing the Supreme Court on 8 January 2023.

From BBC

He previously said he would aim to hold his Westminster seat until the next general election, due in 2029, but would not accept two salaries.

From BBC

Related Words

• acknowledge
• admit
• adopt
• affirm
• approve
• assume
• buy
• comply
• recognize
• sign
• undertake

Accept Vs. Except

What’s the difference between accept and except?

Accept is a common word with many meanings, most of which involve receiving something, taking something on, or putting up with something. Except is most commonly used as a preposition meaning excluding or but, as in Everyone was invited except me, or as a conjunction meaning but for the fact that, as in I would have called, except I lost my phone.

Except can also be used as a verb meaning to exclude, as in the common phrase present company excepted, but its verb use is much less common. In contrast, accept is always a verb.

To remember the difference in the spelling between accept and except, remember that except shares the prefix ex- with exclude, which is fitting since except is commonly used in situations in which someone or something has been excluded.

Accept, on the other hand, is often used in situations in which something is acquired.

Here’s an example of accept and except used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: I usually accept your excuses, except this time I know they’re not true.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between accept and except.

Quiz yourself on accept vs. except!

Should accept or except be used in the following sentence?

The cake was great _____ for the icing, which was a little too sweet.