Acceptable

/əkˈsɛptəbəl/

adjectiveIntermediate📊CommonEvaluation
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase1 question

Definitions

1

Worthy of being accepted; meeting the standard or requirements.

/əkˈsɛptəbəl/

adjectiveneutralIntermediate
Evaluation

meeting the standard

The new policy is acceptable to most employees.

💡 Simply: Good enough to be approved or accepted.

More Examples

2

She found the hotel room acceptable, but not excellent.

How It's Used

Formal

"The proposal was deemed acceptable by the committee."

Informal

"I think this restaurant is acceptable for a casual dinner."

Idioms & expressions

acceptable behavior

Behavior that is considered proper or suitable.

"The company has a code of conduct that outlines acceptable behavior in the workplace."

From Latin acceptabilis, from acceptare, which is a combination of ad- and captare, meaning 'to take'. The word has been in use since the 15th century.

The word 'acceptable' has been used since the 15th century, originally in the context of religion and philosophy. Over time, its meaning has expanded to include various fields such as business, law, and social norms.

Memory tip

Think of 'accept' and associate it with something that is 'able' to be taken or received.

Word Origin

Original meaning

"to take"

acceptable levelacceptable riskacceptable behavior

Common misspellings

acceptibleacceptabelaceptable

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written