accepter

Accepter is a French verb meaning to receive something offered, to agree to a proposal, or to consent to a condition. It can also mean to admit, to tolerate, or to conform to terms. The verb is used with a direct object (accept something), with de-infinitive clauses (accepter de faire quelque chose, to agree to do something), or with que-clauses (accepter que quelqu’un fasse quelque chose).

Etymology traces accepter to Latin accipere, “to take toward oneself,” passing through Old French forms such as acceper before becoming the modern French verb. The sense of taking in or taken as true underlies its various nuances in everyday and formal language.

Conjugation and grammar: accepter is a regular -er verb. In the present tense: j'accepte, tu acceptes, il accepte, nous acceptons, vous acceptez, ils acceptent. The passé composé is formed with avoir: j'ai accepté. Other common tenses include imperfect j'acceptais, future j'accepterai, conditional j'accepterais, and the subjunctive que j'accepte. The imperative forms are accepte, acceptons, acceptez. The noun form is l'acceptation (the act of accepting).

Usage notes: accepter governs direct objects or infinitives and can express willingness, consent, or approval. It is often contrasted with refuser (to refuse) or convier/consentir (to consent in more formal contexts). Common collocations include accepter une offre, accepter une invitation, accepter des conditions, and accepter de faire quelque chose. In contemporary usage, accepter is also used in digital contexts, such as accepter les cookies.

See also: acceptation (noun), accepté (accepted), acceptabilité.