acknowledging
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.admitting that something is true or exists.
v.accepting or admitting the existence or truth of something. Transitive — requires a direct object or a 'that' clause.
Simple“Acknowledging his mistake was the first step toward fixing the problem.”
In context“By acknowledging the systemic failures within the department, the director paved the way for comprehensive structural reform.”
UsageOften used as a gerund at the start of a sentence to establish a premise.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.showing that you have received a letter, message, or gift.
v.confirming the receipt of a communication or item. Transitive — typically takes the received item as the object.
Simple“Thank you for acknowledging my email so quickly.”
In context“The clerk spent the morning acknowledging the influx of formal applications that had arrived over the weekend.”
UsageCommon in professional and legal correspondence.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.the act of admitting something or showing you have seen someone.
n.the action of expressing recognition or admission. Used as a verbal noun.
Simple“The king gave a brief acknowledging of the crowd's cheers.”
In context“The document provides a formal acknowledging of the debt owed to the estate.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, the noun 'acknowledgment' is almost always preferred over the gerund 'acknowledging' for this sense.
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
adj.describing someone who notices or recognizes something.
adj.characterised by the act of noticing or recognising. Often used in a participial sense to describe a look or gesture.
Simple“She gave him an acknowledging nod as she walked past his desk.”
In context“He offered an acknowledging smile, silently confirming that he had heard the secret instructions despite the loud music.”
SynonymsAntonyms
“The streamer also says the badge will relate to the "artist's public identity" and not about "how the music was made", acknowledging that AI tools are being used in some human music creation now.”
“The Romanovs released a bulletin acknowledging that the young heir was on the brink of death after a particularly serious incident.”
From acknowledge + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.