Suscipient

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A person who takes in or receives something, such as a sponsor's charge at baptism ; receptive or willing to take in ideas, influence, or things offered
2. One who is the recipient of a gift, sacrament, or responsibility ; open and ready to accept or admit something offered
3. A receiver of something given or conferred ; characterized by an inclination to take in and accept what is presented

Etymology: "Suscipient" comes straight from Latin "suscipiens," the present participle of "suscipere," meaning "to take up" or "to receive." The Latin verb is built from "sub," "under" or "up from below," and "capere," "to take" or "to seize," so the underlying picture is of something being lifted up or taken in hand. English keeps that sense of receiving and holding, which is why the word is used for the one who takes something in, rather than the one who gives it. Its use is largely technical and formal. As a noun it names a person who receives something, and as an adjective it describes that receiving or taking-in quality. Because it passed into English directly from Latin rather than through everyday speech, it has stayed close to its original meaning and has never shifted into a more casual sense.

Synonyms: receptive, accepting, receiving

Antonyms: rejecting