acceptable
acceptable
Pronunciation
acceptable: /əkˈsɛptəbəl/
ac- /ək/ - /ə/ (schwa), /k/ (voiceless velar stop)
cep- /sɛp/ - /s/ (voiceless alveolar fricative), /ɛ/ (open-mid front unrounded vowel), /p/ (voiceless bilabial stop)
ta- /tə/ - /t/ (voiceless alveolar stop), /ə/ (schwa)
ble /bəl/ - /b/ (voiced bilabial stop), /əl/ (syllabic l)
Word Form Variations
Adjective: acceptable
Adverb: acceptably
Noun: acceptability
Verb: accept (root verb from which "acceptable" is derived)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Original Definitions:
Adjective
acceptable
Worthy of being received, acknowledged, or permitted; meeting a minimum standard of quality or suitability.
Synonyms: satisfactory, adequate, suitable, permissible, agreeable, tolerable
Antonyms: unacceptable, unsatisfactory, inadequate, unsuitable, disagreeable, intolerable, objectionable
Having qualities or characteristics that are pleasing or agreeable to a particular person or group.
Synonyms: pleasing, agreeable, welcome, desirable, favorable
Antonyms: unpleasing, disagreeable, unwelcome, undesirable, unfavorable
Examples of Use
Books: "The offer, though not ideal, was ultimately acceptable given the tight deadline and limited alternatives." (From a review of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, published by The New York Times)
Newspapers: "While the city council expressed concerns about the project's environmental impact, they deemed the revised proposal acceptable after several concessions were made by the developers." (The Daily Nation)
Online Publications: "For many remote workers, a stable internet connection and a quiet workspace are the most acceptable conditions for productivity." (From an article on Forbes.com)
Entertainment Mediums: In a film review, a critic might write: "The acting was mediocre, but the plot twists made the overall experience acceptable." (e.g., a review of a new action film on Rotten Tomatoes)
Entertainment Platforms (Streaming): A user review on a streaming service might state: "The sound quality for this documentary was barely acceptable, making it difficult to fully engage with the content." (A user review for a nature documentary on Netflix)
General Public Discourse: During a community meeting, a resident might argue, "While we appreciate the efforts, the proposed solution for traffic congestion is simply not acceptable to the majority of residents." (Reported in local news)
General Public Discourse: In a casual conversation, one friend might say to another, "I think five minutes late is an acceptable amount of time to be for a casual coffee date." (Observed in a casual conversation)
10 Quotes Using Acceptable
"Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable." - Franz Kafka
"Politeness, n: The most acceptable hypocrisy." - Ambrose Bierce
"Nothing is so unbelievable that oratory cannot make it acceptable." - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"To progress in life you must give up the things you do not like. Give up doing the things that you do not like to do. You must find the things that you do like. The things that are acceptable to your mind." - Agnes Martin
"Personally, I don't think it is acceptable to manipulate the human germline for the purpose of changing some genetic traits that will be transmitted over generations." - Emmanuelle Charpentier
"What is and isn't justified by military necessity is, naturally, open to interpretation. One of the key concepts, though, is the law of proportionality. A military attack that results in civilian casualties - 'collateral damage' - is acceptable as long as the military benefits outweigh the price that is paid by humanity." - Sebastian Junger
"In the world of creativity, laziness translates into an inability to be rigorous enough to create fearlessly. It makes us plagiarise or water our creativity down to make it more acceptable to the public." - Shah Rukh Khan
"In life, winning and losing will both happen. What is never acceptable is quitting." - Magic Johnson
"Racism was never acceptable to the people who suffer from it." - Roger Ross Williams
"The most acceptable service of God is doing good to man." - Benjamin Franklin
Etymology
The word "acceptable" has a journey that goes all the way back to Latin!
It came into English in the late 14th century, around the 1300s. It arrived from Old French, where it was "acceptable," meaning "pleasant" or "agreeable."
But before that, the Old French word itself came from the Latin word "acceptabilis," which meant "worthy of acceptance." This Latin word was built from two parts:
"acceptare": This meant "to take or receive willingly."
"-abilis": This is a common Latin ending that means "capable of (being acted upon)" or "worthy of." Think of words like "audible" (capable of being heard) or "visible" (capable of being seen).
So, when "acceptable" first appeared in English, its meaning was very much in line with its Latin roots: "capable, worthy, or sure of being received with pleasure." It described something that was pleasing, gratifying, or agreeable, and therefore something that someone would be happy to take or agree to. Over time, it also developed the sense of something that is "just good enough" or "satisfactory," even if not perfect.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Acceptable
Acceptable limits: Within a permissible range or boundary.
Socially acceptable: Conforming to the customs and conventions of a society.
Commercially acceptable: Meeting the standards or requirements for business or trade.
Mutually acceptable: Agreed upon and satisfactory to all parties involved.
Within acceptable parameters: Operating or existing within a set of agreed-upon or satisfactory conditions.
More than acceptable: Exceeding the basic standard, very good.
Barely acceptable: Just meeting the minimum standard, almost not good enough.
Acceptable risk: A level of risk that is considered tolerable in a given situation.
An agreeable compromise: A solution that is satisfactory to all parties, even if not ideal for any single one. (Using a synonym)
A tolerable outcome: A result that can be endured, even if not preferred. (Using a synonym)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of acceptable from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
