accept /əkˈsɛpt /
▸ verb [with obj.]
1 consent to receive or undertake (something offered):
he accepted a pen as a present |
she accepted a temporary post as a clerk.
▪ give an affirmative answer to (an offer or proposal); say yes to:
he would accept their offer and see what happened |
[no obj.] Tim offered Brian a lift home and he accepted.
▪ dated say yes to a proposal of marriage from (a man):
Reginald was a good match and she ought to accept him.
▪ receive as adequate, valid, or suitable:
the college accepted her as a student |
credit cards are widely accepted.
▪ regard favourably or with approval; welcome:
the Irish never accepted him as one of them.
▪ (of a thing) be designed to allow (something) to be inserted or applied:
vending machines that accepted 100-yen coins for cans of beer.
2 believe or come to recognize (a proposition) as valid or correct:
this tentative explanation came to be accepted by the men |
[with clause] it is accepted that ageing is a continuous process.
▪ take upon oneself (a responsibility or liability); acknowledge:
Jenkins is willing to accept his responsibility |
[with clause] he accepts that he made a mistake.
3 tolerate or submit to (something unpleasant or undesired):
they accepted the need to cut overheads.
– DERIVATIVES accepter noun.
– ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin acceptare, frequentative of accipere ‘take something to oneself’, from ad- ‘to’ + capere ‘take’.