acknowledgment
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of admitting that something exists or is true.
the act of recognizing the existence, truth, or validity of something.
Simple“The government's statement was a clear acknowledgment that the policy had failed.”
In context“The CEO's public acknowledgment of the firm's strategic errors was seen as a necessary step toward regaining investor confidence.”
UsageOften followed by a 'that' clause or the preposition 'of'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a letter or message that tells you someone has received what you sent.
a communication informing the sender that their message, document, or parcel has been received.
Simple“I am still waiting for an acknowledgment of my job application.”
In context“The solicitor sent a formal acknowledgment of the documents, confirming they had arrived before the legal deadline.”
UsageCommonly used in business and legal contexts.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
something you do or say to show thanks for help or to give credit.
an expression of gratitude or a public credit given to someone for their contribution.
Simple“The author included a long list of acknowledgments at the start of the book.”
In context“The scientist received a special acknowledgment in the journal for her foundational research on the project.”
UsageOften used in the plural form ('acknowledgments') in books or academic papers.
- 04 C1 Advanced
a signal sent between computers to show that data was received correctly.
a response (often called an ACK) sent by a receiver to indicate successful receipt of a transmission.
Simple“The system waits for an acknowledgment from the server before sending more data.”
In context“Network latency increased because the client failed to process the acknowledgment signals in a timely manner.”
SynonymsACKhandshake - 05 C1 Advanced
a formal statement that a legal document is real and valid.
a formal declaration or document recognizing the fulfillment of a legal requirement.
Simple“The deed requires an acknowledgment by a public official to be valid.”
In context“The notary provided the necessary acknowledgment to certify that the signature on the contract was authentic.”
Synonymscertificationattestation
“Webber said there had not been enough acknowledgment from mental health organisations of the risk of violence.”
“In Spanish, this happens through explanation and negotiation, while in Korean, it is often done through a clearer acknowledgment of fault, especially when social power is involved.”
From acknowledge + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.