acceptable

[ ak-sep-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. capable or worthy of being accepted.
2. pleasing to the receiver; satisfactory; agreeable; welcome.
3. meeting only minimum requirements; barely adequate:

   an acceptable performance.

4. capable of being endured; tolerable; bearable:

   acceptable levels of radiation.

acceptable

/ əkˈsɛptəbəl /

adjective

1. satisfactory; adequate
2. pleasing; welcome
3. tolerable

Derived Forms

• acˈceptably, adverb
• acˌceptaˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• ac·cepta·bili·ty ac·cepta·ble·ness noun
• ac·cepta·bly adverb
• unac·cepta·bili·ty noun
• unac·cepta·ble adjective
• unac·cepta·ble·ness noun
• unac·cepta·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of acceptable¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word acceptābilis. See accept, -able

Example Sentences

Do voters really believe forced prison labor is acceptable?

From Los Angeles Times

“You're terrorising people, children, for some money, and I don't think in any society that is in any way acceptable”.

From BBC

Scotland's Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto said excessively long waits were not acceptable and more money was going towards women's health.

From BBC

Sociologist Anna Kuleshova argues that violence is becoming more acceptable in Russian society, especially because criminals can now escape punishment by going to war.

From BBC

"There's no world in which you could have a robust environmental assessment that takes into account those downstream emissions and decide that those environmental impacts are acceptable," she told me.

From BBC

Related Words

• adequate
• common
• decent
• fair
• respectable
• sufficient
• tolerable