Meanings
present singular third person acknowledges · participle present acknowledging · participle past acknowledged · past acknowledged · alternative obsolete acknowledg · alternative obsolete acknowelege · alternative obsolete aknowledge · alternative misspelling acknowlege
- transitiveTo admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in.
to acknowledge the being of a god
5 more examples
I acknowledge my transgressions.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalm 51:3[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 iiiFor 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[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 40Addison: 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 - transitiveTo 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 3:63 more examples
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 BuddHe 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 LiteratureSynonyms: recognize, admit, allow, concede, confess, own, grant
- transitiveTo be grateful of (e.g. a benefit or a favour)
to acknowledge a favor
1 more example
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 - transitiveTo report (the receipt of a message to its sender).
This is to acknowledge your kind invitation to participate in the upcoming debate.
- transitiveTo 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
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in.
verbTo own or recognize in a particular quality, character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to.
More synonyms by meaning
verbdeclare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
verbexpress recognition of the presence or existence of, or acquaintance with
verbaccept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept their power and authority
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishoncnāwan, ācnāwan“to know, recognize, acknowledge”
- Middle Englishaknowen“to recognize, acknowledge”
- Englishacknowledge
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.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans erken, erken
- erkento admit the knowledge of
- erkento admit the claims or authority of
- ontvangs bevestigto notify receipt
- eiento own as genuine or valid
Ancient Greek νομίζω, νομίζω
- νομίζω (nomízō)to admit the claims or authority of
- νομίζω (nomízō)to own as genuine or valid
- νομίζω (nomízō)to own with gratitude
Arabic شَكَرَ
- شَكَرَ (šakara)to own with gratitude
Bulgarian признава́м, признава́м
- признава́м (priznavám)to admit the knowledge of
- признава́м (priznavám)to admit the claims or authority of
- потвържда́вам (potvărždávam)to notify receipt
- признателен съм (priznatelen săm)to own with gratitude
Chinese Mandarin 承認 /承认
- 承認 /承认 (chéngrèn)to admit the knowledge of
Czech připustit
- připustitto admit the knowledge of
Danish anerkende, erkende
- anerkendeto admit the knowledge of
- erkendeto admit the knowledge of
- vedgåto admit the knowledge of
Dutch bekennen, erkennen
- bekennento admit the knowledge of
- erkennento admit the knowledge of
- erkennento admit the claims or authority of
- ontvangst bevestigen/meldento notify receipt
- erkennento own as genuine or valid
- erkentelijk zijnto own with gratitude
- erkennento own with gratitude
Esperanto agnoski, kvitanci
- agnoskito admit the knowledge of
- kvitancito notify receipt
Finnish tunnustaa, hyväksyä
- tunnustaato admit the knowledge of
- hyväksyäto admit the knowledge of
- tunnustaato admit the claims or authority of
- kuitatato notify receipt
- hyväksyäto own as genuine or valid
- kiittääto own with gratitude
French reconnaître, accuser réception
- reconnaîtreto admit the knowledge of
- accuser réceptionto notify receipt
- certifierto own as genuine or valid
German zur Kenntnis nehmen, erkennen
- zur Kenntnis nehmento admit the knowledge of
- erkennento admit the knowledge of
- bekennento admit the knowledge of
- anerkennento admit the claims or authority of
- den Empfang bestätigento notify receipt
Greek αναγνωρίζω
- αναγνωρίζω (anagnorízo)to admit the knowledge of
Hindi स्वीकार करना
- स्वीकार करना (svīkār karnā)to admit the knowledge of
Hungarian elismer, elismer
- elismerto admit the knowledge of
- elismerto admit the claims or authority of
- visszaigazolto notify receipt
Irish admhaigh, admhaigh
- admhaighto admit the knowledge of
- admhaighto admit the claims or authority of
- admhaighto notify receipt
Italian riconoscere, ammettere
- riconoscereto admit the knowledge of
- ammettereto admit the knowledge of
- riconoscereto admit the claims or authority of
- confermareto notify receipt
Japanese 承認する, 認める
- 承認する (shōnin suru)to admit the knowledge of
- 認める (mitomeru)to admit the knowledge of
Korean 승인하다, 인정하다
- 승인하다 (seung'inhada)to admit the knowledge of
- 인정하다 (injeonghada)to admit the knowledge of
Latin agnoscō, fateor
- agnoscōto admit the knowledge of
- fateorto admit the knowledge of
- agnoscōto admit the claims or authority of
Polish przyznawać, przyznać
- przyznawaćto admit the knowledge of
- przyznaćto admit the knowledge of
- uznawaćto admit the claims or authority of
- uznaćto admit the claims or authority of
Portuguese reconhecer, reconhecer
- reconhecerto admit the knowledge of
- reconhecerto admit the claims or authority of
- admitirto admit the claims or authority of
- confirmarto notify receipt
- reconhecerto own as genuine or valid
- reconhecerto own with gratitude
Romanian recunoaște
- recunoașteto admit the knowledge of
Russian признава́ть, призна́ть
- признава́ть (priznavátʹ)to admit the knowledge of
- призна́ть (priznátʹ)to admit the knowledge of
- подтвержда́ть (podtverždátʹ)to notify receipt
- подтверди́ть (podtverdítʹ)to notify receipt
Scottish Gaelic aidich
- aidichto admit the knowledge of
Slovak priznávať, priznať
- priznávaťto admit the knowledge of
- priznaťto admit the knowledge of
- pripustiťto admit the knowledge of
Spanish reconocer, reconocer
- reconocerto admit the knowledge of
- reconocerto admit the claims or authority of
- acatarto admit the claims or authority of
- acusar reciboto notify receipt
- confirmar que se recibióto notify receipt
Swedish erkänna, bekänna
- erkännato admit the knowledge of
- bekännato admit the knowledge of
- kännas vidto admit the claims or authority of
Ukrainian визнава́ти, ви́знати
- визнава́ти (vyznaváty)to admit the knowledge of
- ви́знати (význaty)to admit the knowledge of
- признава́ти (pryznaváty)to admit the knowledge of
- призна́ти (pryznáty)to admit the knowledge of
- підтве́рджувати (pidtvérdžuvaty)to notify receipt
Welsh cydnabod, cydnabod
- cydnabodto admit the knowledge of
- cydnabodto notify receipt
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with acknowledge
All rhymes →Cite this entry
acknowledge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acknowledge
“acknowledge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acknowledge. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acknowledge,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acknowledge.
Source: acknowledge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.