accipere

Accipere is a Latin verb meaning to take toward oneself, to receive, accept, or adopt. It covers both concrete reception (receiving a gift) and more abstract senses such as accepting a proposal or learning of news. In grammar, accipere is a third‑conjugation -io verb and occurs in active and passive forms across tenses.

Morphology and principal parts: accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptum. As a 3rd‑io verb, its present active forms are accipio, accipis, accipit, accipimus, accipitis, accipiunt; imperfect active is accipiebam, accipiebas, accipiebat, accipiebamus, accipiebatis, accipiebant; future active is accipiam, accipies, accipiet, accipiemus, accipietis, accipient. The perfect active is accepi, and the supine is acceptum. Passive forms include accipior, acciperis, accipitur, accipimur, accipimini, accipiuntur, with corresponding imperfect and future passive forms in the standard patterns of the third‑conjugation -io verbs.

Usage and examples: accipere governs a direct object for what is received, as in Donum accipio (I receive a gift). It also appears with news or information: Nuntios accepi (I learned/received the news). The verb can express acceptance of suggestions, decisions, or opinions, as well as physical reception of people or things. The passive is used when the action is received by the subject, e.g., Donum accipitur a domino (A gift is received by the master).

Etymology and cognates: accipere derives from ad- plus capere, with assimilation producing accipere. It is cognate with the Romance verbs in French accepter, Spanish aceptar, Italian accettare, and with related roots in related languages.