acknowledge

Meaning

1. (transitive) To admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in.
2. (transitive) To own or recognize in a particular quality, character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to.
3. (transitive) To be grateful of (e.g. a benefit or a favour)
4. (transitive) To report (the receipt of a message to its sender).
5. (transitive) To own as genuine or valid; to assent to (a legal instrument) to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form.

Synonyms

admit

recognize

accept

🉑

confess

concede

recognise

confirm

profess

corroborate

avow

know

approve

consent

respond

agree

affirm

allow

own

receive

receipt

🧾

grant

assent

notice

come clean

ACK

attest

think

🤔

thank

understand

see

👀

regard

testify

verify

applaud

realize

believe

own up

be aware

bear witness

award

authentication

allot

admission

authenticate

attorn

agree with

credit

assess

acknowledgement

accord

Translations

reconhecer

erkennen

reconnaître

anerkennen

reconocer

riconoscere

croire

admettre

ammettere

admitir

admitir

🉑

zugeben

toegeven

bekennen

reconèixer

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əkˈnɒl.ɪd͡ʒ/

Etymology

Cognate with Latin: agnōscō

Cognate with Russian: призна́ть

In summary

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.