- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- Cicero
- Ultimate origin
- Proto-Indo-European (*kap-)
Pronunciation
Forms
acceptiō f (genitive acceptiōnis); third declension[1]
Etymology
It is from accipiō “to receive, accept” with the suffix -tiō; ⟨accipiō⟩ is from ad- and capiō “to take”.[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨capiō⟩ to Proto-Italic *kap-i-.[4]
Earliest recorded meaning
Lewis & Short and Gaffiot cite Cicero's Topica: there is no surrender or gift without acceptance.[5][6] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[3]
Semantic evolution
It was a taking, receiving, accepting, as in Cicero and Sallust.[2][6]
In Christian Latin acceptiō persōnae (after Romans 2:11) was respect of persons, partiality, favouritism.[7][8] Medieval Latin also used it for the meaning of a word, and for admission into a monastery.[7] In Ecclesiastical Latin it was acceptance, respect, distinction, and in canon law a candidate's acceptance of an office.[9] It gave French acception and the rare English acception.[1]
Timeline
Meanings
Noun
- A taking, receiving, acceptance.[2]
- (Ecclesiastical Latin) acceptiō persōnae Favouritism, partiality.[7][8]
- (Medieval Latin) The meaning of a word; admission into a monastery.[7]
Word family
- satisacceptiō
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
- ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
- ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
- ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
- ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry
“Acceptio.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/acceptio. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
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