Receive (verb) — to be given or sent something; to experience or be subject to something; to formally greet or welcome someone. She received excellent feedback on her essay.
What Does Receive Mean?
Receive comes from Old French receivre and, before that, Latin recipere — a combination of re- (back) and capere (to take). The literal sense of "taking something back" evolved into the modern meaning of being the person to whom something is directed or delivered. The same Latin root gives English capable, capture, accept, conceive, and perceive.
In everyday English, receive covers three overlapping meanings. First, and most commonly, it means to be given or sent an object, message, or payment: receive a letter, receive a salary. Second, it means to experience or be subjected to something, often abstract: receive criticism, receive treatment, receive praise. Third, in formal contexts, it means to greet or welcome guests or visitors: the mayor received the delegation at the town hall.
The word sits at B1 level and is indispensable in both formal writing and everyday speech. It is the natural counterpart of give and send: wherever there is a giver or sender, there is a receiver. Mastering its collocations — the fixed word pairings it forms — will instantly improve the naturalness of your formal and professional English.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & note |
|---|---|
| Did you receive my email? | A2 — simple past question, everyday context |
| She received excellent feedback on her essay. | B1 — receive + abstract noun (feedback) |
| The charity received thousands of donations after the appeal. | B1 — receive + plural noun, formal register |
| The new policy has been well received by most employees. | B2 — passive voice, professional context |
| The ambassador was formally received at the presidential palace, marking the start of diplomatic talks. | C1 — formal/diplomatic register, receive = welcome |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| receive a message | I received a message from the bank this morning. |
| receive feedback | Students receive feedback on their writing every week. |
| receive an award | She received an award for outstanding performance. |
| receive treatment | He is receiving treatment at a specialist clinic. |
| receive permission | You must receive permission before publishing the data. |
| receive support | The project received support from several local businesses. |
| receive a salary | New employees receive a salary review after six months. |
| receive complaints | The customer service team receives complaints daily. |
| receive visitors | The head teacher is unable to receive visitors this afternoon. |
| receive training | All new staff receive training in health and safety. |
Usage Notes
Key Points for Learners
- Receive vs get: Both mean to come into possession of something, but receive is more formal. Use receive in writing, business communication, and formal speech; use get in informal conversation.
- Receive vs accept: Receive is neutral — it simply means something comes to you. Accept implies a conscious choice to agree or take something. You can receive an offer and then decide whether to accept it.
- Passive use: Receive is very common in the passive voice, especially in formal and journalistic writing: The proposal was warmly received. Applications must be received by Friday.
- Abstract nouns: Receive pairs naturally with abstract nouns — receive criticism, receive praise, receive attention, receive an education — in ways that get cannot always replace in formal contexts.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I recieved your letter yesterday.
I received your letter yesterday. (Spelling: 'i before e, except after c' — re-cei-ve)
She received to help from her colleagues.
She received help from her colleagues. (No preposition between receive and the object)
He received the news with a lot of shock.
He received the news with shock. / He was shocked by the news. (Avoid redundant a lot of with uncountable abstract nouns in formal writing)
Word Forms
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| receive (infinitive / present) | I receive dozens of emails each day. |
| received (past simple / past participle) | She received a standing ovation. |
| receiving (present participle) | He is receiving physiotherapy after the injury. |
| receiver (noun — person) | The receiver of the prize looked genuinely surprised. |
| receipt (noun — document / act) | Please keep your receipt as proof of purchase. |
| reception (noun — act of receiving / event) | The film received a warm reception at the festival. |