Embraced

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪmˈbɹeɪst/

Definitions

1. To hold someone or something closely in the arms as a sign of affection ; to willingly accept or support an idea, belief, or change
2. To clasp tightly with the arms as a gesture of love or comfort ; to adopt or approve of something with enthusiasm
3. To enfold in one’s arms as a form of greeting or affection ; to warmly receive or take up a concept or practice

Etymology: The past tense "embraced" is simply the regular ending added to "embrace," so the interesting history lies in the verb. Its ancestor is Latin "bracchium," meaning "arm," which is also the source of "brachial." Late Latin speakers formed "imbracchiare" by adding the prefix "in-" to that word, giving something like "to take in the arms." Old French turned this into "embracer," which at first meant "to kiss," a sense that the modern French "embrasser" still carries. English borrowed the idea through Middle English "embracen," which covered a remarkable range of meanings: to clasp in one's arms, but also to wrap or lace something, to put on armour, to entangle, to influence a jury unlawfully, and to comprehend. Many of these survived into modern use in shifted form. The sense of holding someone closely, the one this word now mostly carries, is only one branch of a family that once reached in many directions.

Synonyms: hugged, clutched, enveloped, welcome, adopted

Antonyms: rejected, dismissed, shunned, ignored, spurned