Acceptance is the act of agreeing, receiving, or acknowledging something offered. Acceptances, the plural form, refers to instances of agreement or approval, often in formal or institutional contexts. The word emphasizes the state of being accepted rather than the act itself, and is used in legal, administrative, or organizational discussions.
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"Her acceptances of the terms were recorded in the contract."
"The committee reviewed the acceptances from several departments before finalizing the budget."
"They issued multiple acceptances of the invitation, signaling broad support."
"The student received formal acceptances from two universities."
Accept comes from Latin acceptare, from ad- ‘toward’ + capere ‘take, seize.’ The noun acceptance emerges in Middle English via Old French aceptance, from Latin acceptantia, from acceptare. Early uses in legal and commercial language referred to the act of taking or receiving something offered, or the reception of terms. Over time, acceptation broadened to mean approval or assent, particularly in formal contexts like contracts, offers, and official decisions. The plural acceptances appears in the late 15th to 16th centuries as English legal and administrative language grew, with acceptances used to denote multiple instances of approval or receipt. The word’s core sense centers on agreement to terms or reception of something positive, contrasted with rejections or denials. In modern usage, acceptances frequently appear in formal communications, admissions processes, and governance, where official record-keeping hinges on documented acceptances and consents.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "acceptances" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "acceptances"
-ces sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Break it as /əkˈsɛp.tən.sɪz/. Stress falls on the second syllable: ac-CEPT-ances. Start with a light schwa, then /ˈsɛp/ with the lips lightly closed, then /tən/ where the t is released before a schwa-like /ən/, ending with /sɪz/ because the plural suffix after a voiceless consonant becomes /-ɪz/. Mouth positions: initial /ə/ relaxes, next /s/ with light airflow, /ɛ/ mid-open front vowel, /p/ a short puff, /t/ alveolar stop, /ən/ a quick schwa with a nasal, final /z/ vibrating voice.
Common errors: misplacing stress (saying ac-CEPT-ances with reduced second syllable stress), mispronouncing the cluster -pt- as -p- or -t- (e.g., /ˈæksɛp.tən.sɪz/), or trailing the final -s as /z/ after a voiceless /s/ without voicing. Correction: keep /ˈsɛp/ as a strong syllable, release the /t/ crisply before /ən/, and end with /ɪz/ for the plural (not /-s/). Practice saying the sequence slowly: /əkˈsɛp.tən.sɪz/ and then blend. Focus on lightly aspirated /t/ and clear /s/ followed by a voiced /ɪz/.
US: /əkˈsɛp.tən.sɪz/ with rhotic vowels and clear /r/-less? No /r/ in this word. UK: /əkˈsep.tən.sɪz/ with a potentially shorter /ɪ/ in final syllable and non-rhotic / r /. AU: similar to UK; slight vowel height differences in /e/ vs /eɪ/ but generally /ɪz/ ending. Key differences: the vowel quality in /ɛ/ can be slightly more open in US; tempo and intonation can shift, but the core /ˈsɛp/ vs /ˈsep/. Always ensure final /s/ becomes /ɪz/ when the preceding consonant is a voiceless sound.
Because it combines a stressed mid-front vowel in /ˈsɛp/ with a multi-syllabic sequence /-tən-/ before a final /sɪz/. The cluster -pt- transitions quickly, and the alveolar /t/ can darken before a nasal, changing the place of articulation. The final /-ɪz/ requires voicing of z with careful vowel timing. The exact articulation of /ˈsɛp/ and the speed of blending into /tən.sɪz/ can easily slip, especially in connected speech.
A unique concern is avoiding vowel reduction in the second syllable: many speakers reduce /ˈsep/ to a weaker vowel, muddying the syllable boundary. Also note the -pt- sequence should be released clearly into /t/, not merged into /p/. Finally, ensure the plural /-sɪz/ is voiced; using /-s/ or /-z/ incorrectly changes naturalness. Practice with emphasis on the -tən- to -sɪz transition.
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