accept

UK: /ækˈsɛpt/ US: /ækˈsɛpt/ ,(ak sept′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ac•cept /ækˈsɛpt/   v. [~ + object]

1. to take or receive (something offered) willingly:
   She accepted my apology.
2. to respond or answer affirmatively to:
   to accept an invitation.
3. to undertake the responsibilities of:
   to accept a job.
4. to admit formally, such as to a college or club.
5. to include in a group:
   Her classmates finally accepted the new girl.
6. to accommodate or reconcile oneself to:
   to accept a painful situation.
7. to regard as true or sound;
   believe:
   can't accept such a wild excuse.
8. Medicine to receive (a transplanted organ or tissue) without a bad reaction.Compare reject (def. 7).

See -cep-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ac•cept  (ak sept′), v.t. 

1. to take or receive (something offered);
   receive with approval or favor:
   to accept a present; to accept a proposal.
2. to agree or consent to;
   accede to:
   to accept a treaty; to accept an apology.
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.
8. to regard as normal, suitable, or usual.
9. to receive as to meaning;
   understand.
10. Business [Com.] 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. Cf. reject (def. 7).

v.i. 

14. to accept an invitation, gift, position, etc. (sometimes fol. by of).

• Latin acceptare, equivalent. to ac- ac- + -cep- take, combining form of cap- + -t- frequentative suffix
• Middle French accepter
• Middle English accepten 1350–1400

Synonyms

• 2. concede.
• 7. acknowledge.

Antonyms

• 1. reject.

Usage

Accept and except are sometimes confused as verbs because of their similar pronunciations, esp. 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).

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

accept / əkˈsɛpt/ verb (mainly tr)

1. to take or receive (something offered)
2. to give an affirmative reply to
3. to take on the responsibilities, duties, etc, of: she accepted office
4. to tolerate or accommodate oneself to
5. to consider as true or believe in (a philosophy, theory, etc)
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. to agree to pay (a bill, draft, shipping document, etc), esp by signing
9. to receive as adequate, satisfactory, or valid

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin acceptāre, from ad- to + capere to take

acˈcepter noun