acceptance definition

English acceptance definition

Etymology

• First attested in 1574. From Middle French acceptance, from Old French accepter (“accept”). Equivalent to accept +‎ -ance.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ək.ˈsɛp.təns/

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Noun

acceptance (countable and uncountable, plural acceptances)

1. (uncountable) The act of accepting; the receiving of something offered, with acquiescence, approbation, or satisfaction; especially, favourable reception; approval.

   the acceptance of a gift, office, doctrine, etc.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 60:7:

     All the flockes of Kedar shall be gathered together vnto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister vnto thee: they shall come vp with acceptance on mine altar, and I wil glorifie the house of my glory.

2. (countable) An instance of that act.
3. Belief in something; agreement, assent.
4. The state of being accepted.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto)‎^[1], London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC:

     The warrant I haue of your Honourable Diſpoſition, not the Worth of my vntutor'd Lines makes it aſſured of acceptance.

5. The usual or accepted meaning of a word or expression.
6. (business, finance) An assent and engagement by the person on whom a bill of exchange is drawn, to pay it when due according to the terms of the acceptance; the bill of exchange itself when accepted.
7. (law) An agreeing to the action, proposals, or terms of another by some act which results in the conclusion of a legally binding contract; the reception or taking of a thing bought as that for which it was bought, or as that agreed to be delivered, or the taking of possession of a thing as owner.
   • 1876, Herbert Newman Mozley, George Crispe Whiteley, A Concise Law Dictionary, London: Butterworths, […] , →OCLC, page 4, column 2:

     But what acts shall amount to such an acceptance is often a question of great nicety and difficulty.

8. (government, US) The act of an authorized representative of the government by which the government assents to ownership of existing and identified supplies, or approves specific services rendered, as partial or complete performance of a contract.
9. (horse racing, Australia, New Zealand, plural only) A list of horses accepted as starters in a race.
10. (optics) Synonym of etendue.

Usage notes

In modern law, offer and acceptance are necessary elements for a legally binding contract.

Alternative forms

• acceptaunce (obsolete)

Synonyms

• (act of accepting): accepting, receiving, reception, approval
• (state of being accepted): acceptableness
• (assent and engagement by person on whom bill of exchange is drawn): assent

Derived terms

• (assent and engagement by person on whom bill of exchange is drawn): banker's acceptance, trade acceptance

Translations

References

• “acceptance”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Further reading

• acceptance on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• acceptance (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• offer and acceptance on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Scots acceptance definition

Noun

acceptance (uncountable)

1. acceptance

References

• Eagle, Andy, ed. (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online.