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acquiesce

ak-wee-ESS /ˌækwiˈes/

verbC1GRESATGMAT

Formal

To accept something reluctantly but without protest.

It implies a quiet submission. You aren't happy about it, but you stop fighting and go along with it.

The story behind the word. The word 'acquiesce' has a surprisingly peaceful origin. It comes from the Latin 'quiescere', meaning 'to rest' (the same root as 'quiet'). To acquiesce is to 'find rest' by finally stopping your resistance. You stop shouting, you stop fighting, and you become quiet.

Word relationships

concede: Concede often implies admitting that the other side is right; acquiesce is just about stopping the struggle.
comply: Comply is more about following a specific rule or order.

resist: To resist is to actively fight against something.
protest: To protest is to publicly express disagreement.

Commonly confused with

acquire: Acquire means to get something; acquiesce means to give in.

Word family

acquiescence (noun): The reluctant acceptance of something without protest.
acquiescent (adjective): Ready to accept something without protest.

Collocations

acquiesce to demands
acquiesce in a decision
quietly acquiesce

Idioms & expressions

give in
bow to pressure

Example sentences

"The board eventually decided to acquiesce to the strikers' demands to avoid a total shutdown of the factory." Describing a difficult decision.
"She did not love him, but under the weight of her family's expectations, she began to acquiesce to the idea of the marriage." A literary example of social pressure.

Memory hook

To 'acquiesce' is to become 'quiet' and 'yes' (ak-QUIET-yes). The quiet 'yes'.

When not to use

Do not use if the person is enthusiastically agreeing; it is for 'giving in.'

Fun facts

In legal terms, 'acquiescence' can sometimes be treated as a form of consent; if you don't protest a boundary line for years, you are seen as having acquiesced to it.