acknowledge
English
Alternative forms
- acknowledg (obsolete)
- acknowelege (obsolete)
Etymology
Recorded since 1553, a blend of Middle English knowlechen (“to discover, reveal, acknowledge”) and aknowen (“to recognize, acknowledge”); the latter from Old English oncnāwan, ācnāwan (“to know, recognize, acknowledge”), from on + cnāwan (“to know”). Notice the preservation of /k/ word-internally (regularly spelled with ck as in back) while being lost word-initially. The prefix might have been influenced by Anglo-Norman a- (“on-, to-”). See knowledge.
For the formation compare Latin agnōscō and Russian призна́ть (priznátʹ), with cognate roots.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əkˈnɒl.ɪd͡ʒ/, [əkˈnɒlɨ̞d͡ʒ], [əɡˈnɒlɨ̞d͡ʒ]
- (US) IPA(key): /ækˈnɑl.ɪd͡ʒ/, [əkˈnɑːɫəd͡ʒ], [ɨkˈnɑːɫɨd͡ʒ], [əɡˈnɑːɫəd͡ʒ], [ɨɡˈnɑːɫɨd͡ʒ]
- Rhymes: -ɒlɪd͡ʒ, -ɒləd͡ʒ
Audio (US) (file) - Hyphenation US: ac‧knowl‧edge, UK: ac‧know‧ledge
Verb
acknowledge (third-person singular simple present acknowledges, present participle acknowledging, simple past and past participle acknowledged)
- (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
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Psalm 51:3:
- I acknowledge my transgressions.
- 1631 (first performance), Philip Massinger, The Emperour of the East. A Tragæ-comœdie. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Iohn Waterson, published 1632, OCLC 1191014043, Act IV, scene iii:
- [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.
- 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 1, 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 1069526323:
- For ends generally acknowledged to be good.
- 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 55185654, page 40:
- [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, […]
- 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, OCLC 1261299044, PC, scene: Nexus:
- Addison: Pathfinder, you're making a mistake.
Ryder: Maybe. But at least I'm willing to acknowledge it.
- (transitive) To own or recognize in a particular quality, character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Proverbs 3:6:
- In all thy ways acknowledge Him.
- 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 606515358, [Act III, scene v]:
- By my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee.
-
- (transitive) To be grateful of (e.g. a benefit or a favour)
- to acknowledge a favor
- 1667, John Milton, “Book XI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
- They his gifts acknowledged none.
- (transitive) To report (the receipt of a message to its sender).
- This is to acknowledge your kind invitation to participate in the upcoming debate.
- (transitive) To own as genuine or valid; to assent to (a legal instrument) to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form.
- 1843, Thomas Isaac Wharton, A Digest of the Reported Cases Adjudged in the Several Courts Held in Pennsylvania, Together with Some Manuscript Cases:
- One who has been sheriff may acknowledge a deed executed by him while in office.
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Usage notes
- See also confess
Synonyms
- (admit knowledge of): avow, recognize, admit
- (recognize a quality):recognize, admit, allow, concede, confess, own
- (be grateful of):
- (report receipt of message):
Derived terms
Derived terms
- acknowledgeable
- acknowledged
- acknowledgedly
- acknowledge the corn
Related terms
- acknowledgment
Translations
to admit the knowledge of
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to admit the claims or authority of
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to own with gratitude
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to notify receipt
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to own as genuine or valid
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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References
- acknowledge in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913