Dictionary

receptive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (UK) audio
• /ɹɪˈsɛptɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɹəˈsɛptɪv/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Italic *kapjō Archaic Latin kapiō Latin capiō Latin recipiō Latin receptus Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Medieval Latin receptivusbor. Middle English receptive English receptive From Late Middle English receptive, receptyue (“capable of receiving something; acting as a receptacle”), borrowed from Medieval Latin receptivus (“capable of receiving something”), from Latin receptus (“retaken, having been retaken; received, having been received”) + -īvus (suffix added to the perfect passive participial stems of verbs, forming a deverbal adjective meaning ‘doing; related to doing’). Receptus is the perfect passive participle of recipiō (“to regain possession, take back; to recapture; to receive; to accept, undertake”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘back, backwards; again’) + capiō (“to capture, catch, take; to take hold, take possession; to take on; to contain, hold; to occupy; to possess; to receive, take in; to comprehend, understand; to captivate, charm”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to hold; to seize”)).

Meanings

1. Capable of receiving something.
2. Ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas.
   • The owner drank cider at the Spotted Woodpigeon and talked pleasantly with the villagers, who, on learning that he had never even heard of the Surrey cattle-maimings, were at great pains to pour information and theories into his receptive ear. 1921, Herbert Jenkins, Malcolm Sage, Detective:
   • receptive to the idea
   • The patient was receptive to her treatment.
   • But, while the others took weeks - hell, even months - to get used to everything, myself included, you found your footing in a matter of days. And not just that - you've also become someone they can trust, even if they don't seem receptive. It's times like these they're gonna need someone like that the most. You're very strong, Pomni. And I know you'll be able to get through this. 2026 June 19, Gooseworx, “Remember” (5:06 from the start), in The Amazing Digital Circus, episode 9, spoken by Kinger (Sean Chiplock):
3. (of a female flower or gynoecium) Ready for reproduction; fertile.
   • When the delightful draught is quaffed and the winged beggar turns to leave, it is confronted with a straight and narrow way out, and before the open can be reached our bee must squeeze under a receptive stigma covered with sticky hairs which comb the pollen grains from the fuzzy back of the visitor. 1917 June 14, National Geographic Magazine, Volume 31/Number 6/Our State Flowers/The Moccasin Flower:
4. Of, affecting, or pertaining to the understanding of language rather than its expression.
   • receptive aphasia
   • receptive fluency
5. Of a female animal (especially a mammal): prepared to mate; in heat, in oestrus.

Forms

Antonyms

irreceptive · nonreceptive · unreceptive · expressive · unreceptive

Deriveds

bio-receptive · baroreceptive · telereceptive · unreceptiveness · proprioceptive · mechanoreceptive · chemoreceptive · unreceptive · prereceptive · osmoreceptive · photoreceptive · receptive field · receptive spot · magnetoreceptive · bioreceptive · extrareceptive · nociceptive · multireceptive · receptive aphasia · receptiveness · receptively · irreceptive · hygroreceptive · unreceptively · thermoreceptive · nonreceptive · electroreceptive · receptivity · receptive language

Relateds

receptary · receptoral · receivership · receptable · receptory · receptibility · receptacular · receptible · receptant · receptor · reception · receptacle · receptionist · receptually · receiver · receptance · recept · receptionism · receptitious · receive · receiving · receptaculum · receipt · receptual

Synonyms

acceptive · oestrual · susceptive

Translations (61)

es receptivo (capable of receiving something) · fa نیوشا (capable of receiving something) · nn næm (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · kk қабылдағыш (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · ca receptiu (capable of receiving something) · fi avoin (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · fi vastaanottokykyinen (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · fr réceptif (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · de empfangsbereit (capable of receiving something) · pt recetível (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · de aufnahmefähig (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · da modtagelig (capable of receiving something) · fi myötätuntoinen (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · it recettibile (capable of receiving something) · es receptivo (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · ro primitor (capable of receiving something) · eo akceptema (capable of receiving something) · eo akceptema (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · pt recetível (capable of receiving something) · sh prijèmčiv (capable of receiving something) · mi mauritū (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · pt receptível (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · nl vatbaar (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · bg разгонена (of a female animal: prepared to mate — see also in heat) · kk қабылдағыш (capable of receiving something) · ru восприимчивый (capable of receiving something) · pt receptivo (capable of receiving something) · el παθητικός (capable of receiving something) · pt aberto (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · ga gabhálach (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · nb mottakelig (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · ar سَمَّاع (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · fi vastaanottavainen (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · pt receptível (capable of receiving something) · ga glacach (capable of receiving something) · pt receptivo (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · bg възприемчив (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · da modtagelig (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · mi mauminamina (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · grc πᾰθητῐκός (capable of receiving something) · de rezeptiv (capable of receiving something) · sv öppen (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · fi taipuvainen (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · sh ре̏цептӣван (capable of receiving something) · de empfänglich (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · pt recetivo (capable of receiving something) · it ricettivo (capable of receiving something) · ro receptiv (capable of receiving something) · hu befogadó (capable of receiving something) · la susceptīvus (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · pl chłonny (capable of receiving something) · sh пријѐмчив (capable of receiving something) · fi vastaanottavainen (capable of receiving something) · mk рецептивен (capable of receiving something) · hy ընդունակ (capable of receiving something) · sh rȅceptīvan (capable of receiving something) · ga gabhálach (capable of receiving something) · pt recetivo (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · nl ontvankelijk (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · ca receptiu (ready to receive something, especially new concepts or ideas) · mi mauminamina (capable of receiving something)