Dictionary

acceptable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/
• /ɪkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/
• /ækˈsɛp.tə.bəl/
• (US) audio
• /ˈæksɛp.tə.bəl/ (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English acceptable, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French acceptable, from Late Latin acceptābilis (“worthy of acceptance”). Morphologically accept + -able.

Meanings

1. Capable, worthy, or sure of being accepted or received with pleasure; welcome; gratifying; pleasing to a receiver.
   • '[…] The other day, as soon as we came to town, aware that money could not be very plenty with us just now, she put bank-notes into Fanny's hands to the amount of two hundred pounds. And extremely acceptable it is, for we must live at a great expense while we are here.' 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter XI, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume II, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
   • I think if post commanders of the unchaplained posts could employ acceptable clergymen […] then the needs might be met. 1883, United States. War Department, Annual Reports of the War Department, volume 1, page 128:
   • A site that carried [sexually explicit] material, but that gated it off from children through credit cards or other mechanisms to verify the age of the user, would have an acceptable defense under the act. 1999 February 1, Pamela Mendels, “Judge Delays Online Pornography Law”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 06 Oct 2022:
   • We need to find an acceptable present for Jeff.
2. Barely worthy, less than excellent; passable.
   • The designs were acceptable, but they were nothing special either.

Forms

Antonyms

unacceptable · unacceptable · rejectable · inacceptable · inacceptable

Deriveds

inacceptably · nonacceptable · acceptably · acceptableness

Relateds

acceptability

Synonyms

sufficient · acceptable · pleasant · licit · awesome · sweet · good as wheat in the bin · perfect · typical · fair · fine · routinary · pleasing · mustn't grumble · goloptious · permissible · commendable · allowable · tubular · heavenlike · wondrous · wicked · customary · incredible · right as rain · good enough for government work · expected · dandy as candy · exceptional · valid · sweet as a nut · fine · ordinary · not bad · gratifying · accustomed · marvelous · lovely · supportable · acceptable · satisfactory · traditional · OK · desired · rad · tickety-boo · passable · snug · tolerable · bene · brilliant · acceptable · hunky dory · splendid · reasonable · routine · decent · wonderful · positive · uniform · stellar · respectable · up to snuff · allowable · as fine as Dick's hatband · neat · up to scratch · usual · suitable · acceptable · close enough for government work · jake · up to par · satisfying · blissful · habitual · all right · average · outstanding · super · definitive · procedural · classic · abideable · heavenly · standard · sufferable · divine · good enough · legitimate · nice · solid · goated · well · superb · canonical · accepted · beatific · OK · ordinal · bodacious · okay · permissible · conventional · terrific · tolerable · fabulous · wonted · true · close enough · plain · orthodox · excellent · rulable · close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades · acceptable · leveful · enjoyable · all right · great · legit · adequate · not half bad · law-abiding · celestial · bona · regular · phenomenal · book · favoursome · not bad · by the book · fantastic · rightful · recognized · nonbad · agreeable · admissible · stupendous · amazing · established · kosher · magnificent · decent · pretty good · okayish · cool · delightful · permissible · consistent · radical

Translations (58)

uk прийня́тний (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · kw kemeradow (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · pt aceitável (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · got 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌴𐌼𐍃 (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · la acceptus (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · az qəbul edilə bilən (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · tr uygun (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · nl aanvaardbaar (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · ga inghlactha (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · grc παραδεκτός (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · grc ἀπόδεκτος (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · cs přijatelný (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · ro acceptabil (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · cmn 可接受的 (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · is ásættanlegur (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · no antakelig (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · sv tacknämlig (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · de annehmbar (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · enm acceptable (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · sv acceptabel (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · ru прие́млемый (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · el δεκτός (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · be прыма́льны (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · el παραδεκτός (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · es aceptable (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · eo akceptebla (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · sv godtagbar (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · pl dopuszczalny (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · tl katanggap-tanggap (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · tr makbul (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · bg допустим (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · tr kabul edilebilir (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · hu elfogadható (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · it accettabile (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · eo akceptinda (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · az məqbul (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · pl akceptowalny (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · cy cymeradwy (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · bg приемлив (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · ca acceptable (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · ia acceptabile (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · es asumible (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · et vastuvõetav (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · hi स्वीकार्य (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · de akzeptabel (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · cy derbyniol (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · hy ընդունելի (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · ml സ്വീകാര്യമായ (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · fr admissible (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · te అంగీకార యోగ్యమైన (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · nl acceptabel (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · mr स्वीकार्य (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · el αποδεκτός (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · mfe akseptab (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · az münasib (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · gl aceptable (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · fr acceptable (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted) · fi hyväksyttävä (capable, worthy or sure of being accepted)

acceptable en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/
• /ɪkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/
• /ækˈsɛp.tə.bəl/
• (US) audio
• /ˈæksɛp.tə.bəl/ (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English acceptable, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French acceptable, from Late Latin acceptābilis (“worthy of acceptance”). Morphologically accept + -able.

Meanings

1. Someone or something that is acceptable.
   • The good old acceptables are called “character” actors. An actor of the versatile order is called, casually, even contemptuously, a “character” actor. c. 1929–1930, Harry Alan Potamkin, “A Diet of Stars”, in Lewis Jacobs, editor, The Compound Cinema: The Film Writings of Harry Alan Potamkin (Studies in Culture & Communication), New York, N.Y.; London: Teachers College Press, published 1977, →ISBN, part 3 (Miscellany), section 9 (Other Writings), page 565:
   • Close to 3 percent of the acceptables are free of DMF teeth while none of the rejectables have fewer than 7 DMF teeth. 1941 July 4, Henry Klein, “The Dental Status and Dental Needs of Young Adult Males, Rejectable or Acceptable for Military Service, According to Selective Service Dental Requirements”, in Public Health Reports, volume 56, number 27, Washington, D.C.: United States Public Health Service, pages 1373–1374:
   • The whole range of the knowable is divided into two classes, the acceptable and the avoidable. The acceptables are: Śiva, Śakti, Vidyesa, Mantra, Mantreśvara and the Jivas. 1922, Madhusūdan Kaul, “Introduction”, in Sri Mālinīvijayottara Tantram (Kashmir Series of Texts and Studies; XXXVII), Bombay: […] “Tatva-vivechaka” Press, page xvii:
   • The church will not be content to see that older persons are housed and entertained, or even that acceptables are worked out to provide them with therapy and income from jobs. 1974 June 19, Ray Wells, “The Church and the Aging”, in The Free Will Baptist, Ayden, N.C., page 5, column 3:

Forms

Antonyms

rejectable