# acknowledge

Pronunciation: US say "uhk-NAH-lij" /əkˈnɑ.lɪd͡ʒ/; UK say "uhk-NOL-ij" /əkˈnɒl.ɪd͡ʒ/

## Verb

1. To admit knowledge of something, to recognize it as a fact or truth, or to declare belief in it.
   - Simple: To say or accept that something is true or real.
   - _The senator acknowledged that the policy had failed to deliver results._
   - _Most historians now acknowledge the trade route's central role in spreading the technology._
2. To recognize someone or something in a particular quality, character, or relationship; to admit a person's claims or authority; to give recognition.
   - Simple: To accept someone or something as having a certain place, power, or role.
   - _The rebellious provinces refused to acknowledge the new king's authority._
   - _In her retirement speech, she acknowledged him as the true architect of the company's success._
3. To report to the sender that a message or transmission has been received.
   - Simple: To tell someone you got the message they sent.
   - _The control tower asked the pilot to acknowledge the landing instructions._
   - _Customer service acknowledged my complaint within an hour of my sending it._
4. To express gratitude for something received, such as a benefit or a favor.
   - Simple: To show that you are thankful for something someone did for you.
   - _We should acknowledge every donation, no matter how small._
   - _In the book's opening pages, the author acknowledges her editor's patience and care._
5. To recognize as genuine or valid; to formally assent to a legal instrument in order to give it validity; to admit in legal form.
   - Simple: To state in an official way that a document is real and that you signed it.
   - _Both parties must acknowledge the deed before a notary public for it to be recorded._
   - _In court, he acknowledged the contract, confirming that the signature was his own._

## Origin

Recorded since 1553, 'acknowledge' is a blend of Middle English 'aknowen' (to recognize, acknowledge) and 'knowlechen' (to discover, reveal, acknowledge). The first comes from Old English 'oncnāwan, ācnāwan' (to know, recognize), from 'on' plus 'cnāwan' (to know), while the second derives from the noun behind 'knowledge'; compare Latin 'agnōscō' and Russian 'priznátʹ'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/acknowledge (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).