- To admit the existence, reality, or truth of.
- To recognize as being valid or having force or power.
- To express recognition of: acknowledge a friend's smile.
- To express thanks or gratitude for.
- To report the receipt of: acknowledge a letter.
- Law. To accept or certify as legally binding: acknowledge a deed.
[Probably blend of Middle English knowlechen, to acknowledge (from knouen, to know; see know) and Middle English aknouen, to recognize (from Old English oncnāwan, to know : on-, on; see on + cnāwan, to know; see know).]
acknowledgeable ac·knowl'edge·a·ble adj.SYNONYMS acknowledge, admit, own, avow, confess, concede. These verbs mean to admit the reality or truth of something, often reluctantly. To acknowledge is to accept responsibility for something one makes known: He acknowledged his mistake. Admit implies reluctance in acknowledging one's acts or another point of view: “She was attracted by the frankness of a suitor who . . . admitted that he did not believe in marriage” (Edith Wharton). Own stresses personal acceptance and responsibility: She owned that she feared for the child's safety. Avow means to assert openly and boldly: “Old Mrs. Webb avowed that he, in the space of two hours, had worn out her pew more . . . than she had by sitting in it forty years” (Kate Douglas Wiggin). Confess usually emphasizes disclosure of something damaging or inconvenient to oneself: I have to confess that I lied to you. To concede is to intellectually accept something, often against one's will: The lawyer refused to concede that the two cases had similarities.
