accept

To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.

Adjective

  1. Accepted.
    • Pass our accept and peremptory answer. - 1599, William Shakespeare, Henry V, V-ii:

Origin

First attested about 1380. From Middle English accepten, borrowed from Old French accepter, or directly from Latin acceptō, acceptāre (“receive”), frequentative of accipiō, formed from ad- + capiō (“to take”). Displaced native Old English onfōn.

Forms

more accept most accept

Noun

  1. Something that is accepted.
    • Almost all line segments will be trivial accepts or trivial rejects, so the above covers the vast majority of cases. - 1996, Jim Blinn, Jim Blinn's Corner: A Trip Down the Graphics Pipeline, page 127:

    Antonyms: reject

Forms

accepts

Verb

  1. To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.
    • Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 20:3:
    • The Chinese say, that a little time afterwards she accepted of a treat in one of the neighbouring hills to which Shalum had invited her. - 1714 August 25, Joseph Addison, “The Sequel of the Story of Shalum and Hilpa”,...
    • I bid thee banish from thy heart all thought of me, but as one whom the Future cries aloud to thee to avoid. Glyndon, if thou acceptest his homage, will love thee till the tomb closes upon both. - 1842, [Edward...
  2. To admit to a place or a group.
    • The Boy Scouts were going to accept him as a member.
  3. To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.
    • I accept the notion that Christ lived.
    • I can't accept nothing being done about the problem and your standing idly by.
  4. To receive as adequate or satisfactory.
  5. To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.
    • I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.
  6. To endure patiently.
    • I accept my punishment.
  7. To acknowledge patiently without opposition or resistance.
    • We need to accept the fact that restaurants are closed due to COVID-19 and that no amount of wishing or screaming will make them reopen any sooner.
  8. To agree to pay.
  9. To receive officially.
    • to accept the report of a committee
  10. To receive something willingly.
  11. To do a service done by an establishment.
    • We accept repairs.
    • We accept bookbinding.

Forms

accepts accepting accepted no-table-tags glossary accept acceptest acceptedst accepteth -

Antonyms

reject decline

Related

acceptability acceptable acceptableness acceptably acceptance acceptancy acceptant acceptation acceptilation acception acceptor

Derived

accept a bill accept at face value accepted acceptedly accepted pairing acceptee accepter acceptible accepting house acceptive accept person accept service preaccept reaccept superaccept unaccept