1 a : to receive or take (something offered) [+ obj] ▪ accept a gift ▪ accept a proposal ▪ accept a bribe ▪ accept an assignment/invitation/offer ▪ They offered him the job, and he accepted it. [no obj] ▪ They offered him the job, and he accepted.
b [+ obj] : to take (something) as payment
▪ The store doesn't accept credit cards.
c [+ obj] : to be able or designed to take or hold (something)
▪ a surface that will not accept ink ▪ a computer program ready to accept commands 2 [+ obj] : to agree to (something) : to agree to receive or allow (something)
▪ accept a telephone call ▪ They accepted some applications and rejected others. ▪ She's still trying to get her manuscript accepted for publication. ▪ I accept your apology. ▪ They refused to accept his resignation. 3 [+ obj] a : to think of (something) as true, proper, or normal
▪ a word that has come to be accepted as standard ▪ This treatment is now accepted by many doctors. ▪ He refused to accept the decision. ▪ I accepted his advice and joined the health club. ▪ They accepted [=believed] her explanation. ▪ The theory is widely accepted as correct. = It is widely accepted that the theory is correct.
b : to stop denying or resisting (something true or necessary)
▪ She found it difficult to accept change. ▪ The truth is sometimes hard to accept. ▪ He behaved badly, and now he has to accept the consequences. ▪ He has to accept the fact that his baseball career is over. [=he has to admit that his baseball career is over] ▪ He was unwilling to accept [=believe] that he could no longer play as he once had.
c : to admit that you have or deserve (something, such as blame or responsibility)
▪ accept blame ▪ I accept responsibility for the accident.
d : to be willing to have or experience (something)
▪ To be a successful investor you have to accept some risk. ▪ She accepted [=took on, faced] the challenge of starting her own business. 4 [+ obj] a : to allow (someone) to join a club, to attend a school, etc.
▪ The club accepted her as a member but rejected her sister. ▪ She was accepted at/by Georgetown University.
b : to regard (someone) as belonging to a group
▪ She felt that her in-laws had never really accepted her (as a member of the family). ▪ She doesn't yet feel accepted (by her in-laws). ▪ The new family was quickly accepted into the community.