Acknowledging
a. To admit the existence, reality, or truth of.
b. To recognize as being valid or having force or power.
2.
a. To express recognition of: acknowledge a friend's smile.
b. To express thanks or gratitude for.
3. To report the receipt of: acknowledge a letter.
4. Law To accept or certify as legally binding: acknowledge a deed.
ac·knowledge·a·ble adj.
Synonyms: acknowledge, admit, own, avow, confess, concede
These verbs mean to admit the reality or truth of something, often reluctantly. To acknowledge is to accept responsibility for something one makes known: He acknowledged his mistake.
Admit implies reluctance in acknowledging one's acts or another point of view: "She was attracted by the frankness of a suitor who . . . admitted that he did not believe in marriage" (Edith Wharton).
Own stresses personal acceptance and responsibility: She owned that she feared for the child's safety.
Avow means to assert openly and boldly: "Old Mrs. Webb avowed that he, in the space of two hours, had worn out her pew more . . . than she had by sitting in it forty years" (Kate Douglas Wiggin).
Confess usually emphasizes disclosure of something damaging or inconvenient to oneself: I have to confess that I lied to you.
To concede is to intellectually accept something, often against one's will: The lawyer refused to concede that the two cases had similarities.
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ac·knowl·edge (k-nlj)
tr.v. ac·knowl·edged, ac·knowl·edg·ing, ac·knowl·edg·es
1.
a. To admit the existence, reality, or truth of.
b. To recognize as being valid or having force or power.
2.
a. To express recognition of: acknowledge a friend's smile.
b. To express thanks or gratitude for.
3. To report the receipt of: acknowledge a letter.
4. Law To accept or certify as legally binding: acknowledge a deed.
[Probably blend of Middle English knowlechen, to acknowledge (from knouen, to know; see know) and Middle English aknouen, to recognize (from Old English oncnwan, to know : on-, on; see on + cnwan, to know; see know).]
ac·knowledge·a·ble adj.
Synonyms: acknowledge, admit, own, avow, confess, concede
These verbs mean to admit the reality or truth of something, often reluctantly. To acknowledge is to accept responsibility for something one makes known: He acknowledged his mistake.
Admit implies reluctance in acknowledging one's acts or another point of view: "She was attracted by the frankness of a suitor who . . . admitted that he did not believe in marriage" (Edith Wharton).
Own stresses personal acceptance and responsibility: She owned that she feared for the child's safety.
Avow means to assert openly and boldly: "Old Mrs. Webb avowed that he, in the space of two hours, had worn out her pew more . . . than she had by sitting in it forty years" (Kate Douglas Wiggin).
Confess usually emphasizes disclosure of something damaging or inconvenient to oneself: I have to confess that I lied to you.
To concede is to intellectually accept something, often against one's will: The lawyer refused to concede that the two cases had similarities.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
acknowledge [əkˈnɒlɪdʒ]
vb (tr)
1. (may take a clause as object) to recognize or admit the existence, truth, or reality of
2. to indicate recognition or [[awareness of, as by a greeting, glance, etc.
3. to express appreciation or thanks for to acknowledge a gift
4. to make the receipt of known to the sender to acknowledge a letter
5. to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of
[probably from earlier knowledge, on the model of Old English oncnāwan, Middle English aknowen to confess, recognize]
1. to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of.
2. to show or express recognition or realization of: to acknowledge applause by nodding.
3. to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of.
4. to show or express appreciation or gratitude for: to acknowledge a favor.
5. to indicate or make known the receipt of, as with a reply: to acknowledge a letter.
6. Law. to confirm as binding or of legal force.
