accept

Accept is a verb with several related meanings. It commonly means to receive or take something offered or presented, as in “she accepted the gift.” It also means to agree to undertake or assume something, such as an offer, a position, or a responsibility, for example “they accepted the job.” A further sense is to regard something as true, valid, or satisfactory, as in “experts accepted the evidence.” It can also mean to endure or tolerate something, for example a difficult situation, as in “we had to accept the outcome.”

The noun form is acceptance; accept is typically used as a verb. Related adjectives include acceptable, meaning satisfactory or allowable, and accepted, meaning widely approved or acknowledged. In law and philosophy, arguments and premises are said to be accepted when they are deemed credible.

Etymology and history: Accept derives from Latin acceptāre, from accipere “to take to oneself,” through Old French accepter into Middle English. Early uses emphasized taking or receiving, with later senses expanding to consent and agreement.

Usage notes: common collocations include accept an offer, accept responsibility, accept a gift, and accept criticism. Do not confuse accept with except, which means “excluding” and is a different word. In English, accept is transitive and requires a direct object or a clause: “accept that…” In computing, the term appears in specialized contexts such as “accept a connection” and the HTTP Accept header, reflecting its broader applicability in technical domains.