Dictionary

acknowledge en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ/ (US)
• [ɪɡˈnɑ.ləd͡ʒ] (US)
• [əɡˈnɑ.ləd͡ʒ] (US)
• [əkˈnɒɫ.ɪd͡ʒ] (Received-Pronunciation)
• [əkˈnɑ.ləd͡ʒ] (US)
• (California) audio
• [ɪkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ] (US)
• /əkˈnɒl.ɪd͡ʒ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ɪɡˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ] (US)
• [əɡˈnɒɫ.ɪd͡ʒ] (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Recorded since 1553, a blend of Middle English aknowen (“to recognize, acknowledge”) and knowlechen (“to discover, reveal, acknowledge”). The former verb is from Old English oncnāwan, ācnāwan (“to know, recognize, acknowledge”), from on + cnāwan (“to know”). The latter is derived from the noun at hand in knowledge. For the formation compare Latin agnōscō and Russian призна́ть (priznátʹ), with cognate roots. The /k/-sound was preserved by being redistributed to the preceding syllable: /əˈkn-/ > /əkˈn-/. The -c- was inserted accordingly to reflect this pronunciation more clearly.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in.
   • to acknowledge the being of a god
   • Addison: Pathfinder, you're making a mistake. Ryder: Maybe. But at least I'm willing to acknowledge it. 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Nexus:
   • I acknowledge my transgressions. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalm 51:3:
   • [N]ow ſuch a liue vngodly, vvithout a care of doing the wil of the Lord (though they profeſſe him in their mouths, yea though they beleeue and acknowledge all the Articles of the Creed, yea haue knowledge of the Scripturs) yet if they liue vngodly, they deny God, and therefore ſhal be denied, […] 1604, Jeremy Corderoy, A Short Dialogve, wherein is Proved, that No Man can be Saved without Good VVorkes, 2nd edition, Oxford: Printed by Ioseph Barnes, and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Crowne, by Simon Waterson, →OCLC, page 40:
   • [T]he charge of my moſt curious, and coſtly ingredients fraide, amounting to ſome ſeaventeene thouſand crovvnes, a trifle in reſpect of health, vvriting your noble name in my Catalogue, I ſhall acknovvledge my ſelfe amply ſatisfi'd. 1631 (first performance), Philip Massinger, The Emperour of the East. A Tragæ-comœdie. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Iohn Waterson, published 1632, →OCLC, Act IV, scene iii:
   • For ends generally acknowledged to be good. 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter I, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
2. (transitive) To own or recognize in a particular quality, character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to.
   • In all thy ways acknowledge Him. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 3:6:
   • He is calmed down only when the bearer of the beard “unbeards,” and acknowledges himself as Asher's old pal: […] 2013, Tova Rosen, Unveiling Eve: Reading Gender in Medieval Hebrew Literature:
   • By my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee. c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
   • Such an episode in the Island's grand naval story her naval historians naturally abridge; one of them (G.P.R. James) candidly acknowledging that fain would he pass it over did not "impartiality forbid fastidiousness." 1891, Henry Melville, chapter 3, in Billy Budd:
3. (transitive) To be grateful of (e.g. a benefit or a favour)
   • to acknowledge a favor
   • They his gifts acknowledged none. 1667, John Milton, “Book XI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
4. (transitive) To report (the receipt of a message to its sender).
   • This is to acknowledge your kind invitation to participate in the upcoming debate.
5. (transitive) To own as genuine or valid; to assent to (a legal instrument) to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form.
   • One who has been sheriff may acknowledge a deed executed by him while in office. 1843, Thomas Isaac Wharton, A Digest of the Reported Cases Adjudged in the Several Courts Held in Pennsylvania, Together with Some Manuscript Cases:

Forms

Deriveds

acknowledged · reacknowledge · preacknowledge · acknowledge the corn · acknowledger · acknowledgeable · misacknowledge · unacknowledge · disacknowledge

Relateds

acknowledgment

Synonyms

grant (recognize a quality) · own (recognize a quality) · confess (recognize a quality) · avow (admit knowledge of) · allow (recognize a quality) · concede (recognize a quality) · admit (admit knowledge of) · admit (recognize a quality) · recognize (admit knowledge of) · recognize (recognize a quality)

Translations (126)

gl recoñecer (to own with gratitude) · fi hyväksyä (to admit the knowledge of) · de den Empfang bestätigen (to notify receipt) · pl uznawać (to admit the claims or authority of) · ga admhaigh (to admit the knowledge of) · pt reconhecer (to own as genuine or valid) · de erkennen (to admit the knowledge of) · got 𐌰𐍄𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (to admit the knowledge of) · grc νομίζω (to admit the claims or authority of) · sv bekänna (to admit the knowledge of) · pl uznać (to admit the claims or authority of) · pl przyznawać (to admit the knowledge of) · nl erkentelijk zijn (to own with gratitude) · af ontvangs bevestig (to notify receipt) · hu elismer (to admit the knowledge of) · fr certifier (to own as genuine or valid) · nl ontvangst bevestigen/melden (to notify receipt) · ru признава́ть (to admit the knowledge of) · fi kuitata (to notify receipt) · gd aidich (to admit the knowledge of) · sv erkänna (to admit the knowledge of) · it ammettere (to admit the knowledge of) · sh priznati (to own with gratitude) · es reconocer (to admit the claims or authority of) · ota طانیمق (to admit the claims or authority of) · it riconoscere (to admit the claims or authority of) · bg потвържда́вам (to notify receipt) · af eien (to own as genuine or valid) · nl erkennen (to own with gratitude) · fi hyväksyä (to own as genuine or valid) · la fateor (to admit the knowledge of) · it confermare (to notify receipt) · grc νομίζω (to own with gratitude) · hu elismer (to admit the claims or authority of) · ro recunoaște (to admit the knowledge of) · ja 承認する (to admit the knowledge of) · eo kvitanci (to notify receipt) · la agnoscō (to admit the knowledge of) · sh prìznati (to admit the knowledge of) · uk ви́знати (to admit the knowledge of) · fr reconnaître (to admit the knowledge of) · ga admhaigh (to notify receipt) · ota طانیمق (to admit the knowledge of) · ru призна́ть (to admit the knowledge of) · fr accuser réception (to notify receipt) · ang oncnāwan (to own as genuine or valid) · gl acusar recepción (a) (to notify receipt) · la agnoscō (to admit the claims or authority of) · pt reconhecer (to admit the claims or authority of) · es acatar (to admit the claims or authority of) · sh potvŕditi (to notify receipt) · da vedgå (to admit the knowledge of) · uk признава́ти (to admit the knowledge of) · sga ad·daim (to admit the claims or authority of) · ar شَكَرَ (to own with gratitude) · pt admitir (to admit the claims or authority of) · gl acusar recibimento (o) (to notify receipt) · cy cydnabod (to notify receipt) · nl erkennen (to admit the claims or authority of) · kix vìshākîuh (to admit the knowledge of) · af erken (to admit the claims or authority of) · uk підтве́рджувати (to notify receipt) · sh прѝзнати (to admit the knowledge of) · be прызнава́ць (to admit the knowledge of) · es reconocer (to admit the knowledge of) · be прызна́ць (to admit the knowledge of) · sh потвр́дити прѝјем (to notify receipt) · cs připustit (to admit the knowledge of) · hu visszaigazol (to notify receipt) · sv kännas vid (to admit the claims or authority of) · de bekennen (to admit the knowledge of) · pt reconhecer (to own with gratitude) · bg признава́м (to admit the claims or authority of) · gl admitir (to admit the claims or authority of) · uk визнава́ти (to admit the knowledge of) · sh препо̀знати (to admit the claims or authority of) · ja 認める (to admit the knowledge of) · eo agnoski (to admit the knowledge of) · ko 인정하다 (to admit the knowledge of) · grc νομίζω (to own as genuine or valid) · sh potvŕditi prìjem (to notify receipt) · bg признава́м (to admit the knowledge of) · pl przyznać (to admit the knowledge of) · es acusar recibo (to notify receipt) · es confirmar que se recibió (to notify receipt) · gl recoñecer (to admit the claims or authority of) · sh prepòznati (to admit the claims or authority of) · sh prìznati (to admit the claims or authority of) · fi tunnustaa (to admit the knowledge of) · ru подтверди́ть (to notify receipt) · ang oncnāwan (to own with gratitude) · fi tunnustaa (to admit the claims or authority of) · fi kiittää (to own with gratitude) · nl bekennen (to admit the knowledge of) · ang andettan (to admit the knowledge of) · ru подтвержда́ть (to notify receipt) · sk priznávať (to admit the knowledge of) · nl erkennen (to own as genuine or valid) · hi स्वीकार करना (to admit the knowledge of) · sh потвр́дити (to notify receipt) · ang oncnāwan (to admit the claims or authority of) · cmn 承認 /承认 (to admit the knowledge of) · da erkende (to admit the knowledge of) · de zur Kenntnis nehmen (to admit the knowledge of) · nl erkennen (to admit the knowledge of) · ang geþafian (to admit the knowledge of) · mk признае (to admit the knowledge of) · de anerkennen (to admit the claims or authority of) · ang oncnāwan (to admit the knowledge of) · pt confirmar (to notify receipt) · mk препознае (to admit the knowledge of) · pt reconhecer (to admit the knowledge of) · sk priznať (to admit the knowledge of) · ga admhaigh (to admit the claims or authority of) · cy cydnabod (to admit the knowledge of) · fur ricognossi (to admit the knowledge of) · it riconoscere (to admit the knowledge of) · ko 승인하다 (to admit the knowledge of) · sh прѝзнати (to admit the claims or authority of) · af erken (to admit the knowledge of) · gl recoñecer (to admit the knowledge of) · bg признателен съм (to own with gratitude) · da anerkende (to admit the knowledge of) · uk призна́ти (to admit the knowledge of) · sk pripustiť (to admit the knowledge of) · el αναγνωρίζω (to admit the knowledge of)