Accepting

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌækˈsɛp.tɪŋ/

Definitions

1. To willingly receive or acknowledge something while also agreeing to terms and recognizing the validity of beliefs or ideas as well as accommodating individuals into a group or organization
2. To embrace or take in something with approval, confirm the truth of an idea or standpoint, and allow individuals to join a community or group
3. Agreeing to take something offered or required ; recognizing the legitimacy or correctness of something ; permitting someone to become part of a group or system

Etymology: "Accepting" is the present participle of "accept," and it is the form of the verb that is an adjective here, describing someone who is open to others. The verb traces back to Latin "accipere," meaning "to take," built from "ad-" ("to") and "capere" ("to take"). The Latin verb "acceptare" was a frequentative form, which signals repeated or habitual action: to keep taking something, or to receive it readily. That sense of ongoing welcome is still present in the adjective. English first attested "accept" around 1380, borrowed from Old French "accepter" or directly from Latin. It displaced the native Old English "onfōn," which had meant to take hold of or receive. So the English word that now describes an open, welcoming attitude pushed out an older Germanic term for simply grasping something.

Synonyms: embracing, receiving, admitting

Antonyms: refusing, rejecting