To accept means to take or receive something willingly; to agree to an offer, invitation, or proposal; to believe or acknowledge that something is true; or to tolerate a difficult situation without complaint.
What Does Accept Mean?
Accept comes from Latin acceptare, a frequentative form of accipere meaning "to receive", built from ad- (to, towards) + capere (to take). It entered English in the 14th century via Old French accepter. The same root capere gives us capture, capable, concept, and the suffix -cept in words such as receive, perceive, and except.
In everyday English, accept covers four overlapping meanings. First, it means to take or receive something offered — a gift, a job, an award. Second, it means to say yes to an invitation or proposal: you accept a dinner invitation or accept terms and conditions. Third, it means to acknowledge something as true or valid, even if you find it unwelcome: "I accept that I was wrong." Fourth, it means to endure or tolerate a situation that cannot be changed: "She had to accept the outcome."
Understanding which meaning is intended depends on context, but all four senses share the idea of willingness rather than resistance. This distinguishes accept from words like receive (which is neutral) or endure (which implies suffering). A useful mental check: if you can substitute "take willingly" or "say yes to", you almost certainly need accept.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| She accepted the present with a big smile. | A2 — receive a gift willingly |
| He accepted the job offer after thinking about it for a day. | B1 — agree to a formal offer |
| She accepted the constructive criticism and used it to improve her writing. | B1 — acknowledge feedback without resistance |
| The committee accepted that the original proposal had several significant flaws. | B2 — acknowledge a truth formally (that-clause) |
| Learning to accept uncertainty is, paradoxically, one of the most empowering things a person can do. | C1 — tolerate / come to terms with an abstract concept |
Collocations
The following collocations are among the most frequent in British English corpora. Learning them as chunks will help your writing and speaking sound natural immediately.
| Collocation | Example in context |
|---|---|
| accept an offer | She was delighted to accept the offer of a place at the university. |
| accept responsibility | The manager accepted full responsibility for the error. |
| accept an apology | He graciously accepted her apology and they moved on. |
| accept a challenge | The team accepted the challenge and delivered the project on time. |
| accept the terms | Both parties accepted the terms of the contract without amendment. |
| accept defeat | It is important to accept defeat with dignity in a competitive sport. |
| accept payment | The shop accepts payment by card or cash. |
| accept criticism | A professional must be able to accept criticism constructively. |
| accept the consequences | If you break the rules, you must accept the consequences. |
| widely accepted | It is now widely accepted that regular exercise improves mental health. |
Usage Notes
How to use accept correctly
Accept + noun / noun phrase: This is the most common pattern. "She accepted the award." "They accepted our terms." The object is the thing being received or agreed to.
Accept + that-clause: Use this pattern to acknowledge a truth or fact. "I accept that the situation is difficult." This is especially common in formal and academic writing.
Accept is not followed by a to-infinitive: Do not say "I accept to do it." If you mean you are willing to do something, use agree: "I agree to do it" or "I am willing to do it."
Widely accepted / generally accepted: These adverb collocations are very common in academic writing and signal that something is considered a fact by most experts.
Formal vs informal register: Accept is slightly more formal than just saying "OK" or "take". In emails and business writing it is standard: "Please accept our apologies." In spoken English it is equally natural at all registers.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I accept to go to the meeting. (accept cannot be followed by a to-infinitive)
I agree to go to the meeting. / I am happy to go to the meeting.
Everyone was there accept Tom. (wrong spelling — except, not accept)
Everyone was there except Tom. (except = not including)
She accepted of the invitation. (no preposition needed after accept)
She accepted the invitation.