Acknowledge
uk-NOL-ij
/əkˈnɒl.ɪdʒ/
To accept, admit, or confirm receipt of a message, fact, or situation.
In digital correspondence, acknowledging an email specifically means sending a quick confirmation that it was received, even before a full answer is ready.
The story behind the word. This word blends Old English know with the suffix -leche (meaning state or action). In feudal courts, to 'acknowledge' meant formally declaring in public that you knew of a debt or duty, putting your knowledge on the official record.
Word relationships
- confirm: 'Confirm' validates the truth or finalization of a decision, whereas 'acknowledge' simply notes that a message was received or recognized.
- admit: 'Admit' usually relates to confessing a truth or fault, whereas 'acknowledge' covers neutral recognition.
- ignore: 'Ignore' means paying no attention, while 'acknowledge' explicitly records awareness.
- deny: 'Deny' refuses to accept truth or receipt.
Commonly confused with
- acquiesce: 'Acquiesce' means to agree passively, while 'acknowledge' merely confirms receipt or facts.
Word family
- acknowledgment (noun): A statement or note confirming receipt or expressing thanks.
- acknowledged (adjective): Generally recognized or accepted.
Collocations
- acknowledge receipt
- acknowledge an error
- promptly acknowledge
- gratefully acknowledge
Example sentences
- "Please acknowledge receipt of this message so we know the updated schedule reached you." Email workflow protocol
- "The support desk automatically sends a reply to acknowledge every incoming client request." Customer support policy
Memory hook
ACKNOWLEDGE = ACK! NOW LOG that you received the knowledge! Log that you got the message.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'agree'; acknowledging receipt does not mean consenting to the proposal inside.
Fun facts
- The common business abbreviation 'ACK' in networking protocols (like TCP) comes directly from 'acknowledge' and signifies data packets arriving safely.
Related words
Explore more words
give credit, validation, concede, take responsibility, acceptance, validate
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.