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to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of:
to acknowledge one’s mistakes.
to show or express recognition or realization of:
to acknowledge an acquaintance by nodding.
to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of:
the students acknowledged the authority of the student council.
to show or express appreciation or grat-tude for:
to acknowledge a favor.
to indicate or make known the receipt of:
to acknowledge a letter.
to take notice of or reply to:
to acknowledge a greeting.
law. to confirm as binding or of legal force:
to acknowledge a deed.
contemporary examples

it is important to acknowledge that there are areas that will simply never be the same after the events three years ago.
chef ooe is rehabbing f-kushima’s food scene at the park hyatt tokyo brandon presser march 10, 2014

capriles demanded a recount, refusing to acknowledge the official result until “every vote” could be verified.
chávez heir nicolás maduro wins by razor-thin margin mac margolis april 14, 2013

and if he does acknowledge that this effectively saved goldman sachs, how can he justify the bonuses of 2008 and 2009?
the bonus boomerang simon johnson january 10, 2010

neither in tibet nor in xinjiang, it seems, do the authorities wish to acknowledge their mistakes.
will china implode? isabel hilton july 27, 2009

what proponents refuse to acknowledge, however, is that a legal regulatory regime is essential to risk reduction.
the public health case against pot david frum december 26, 2012

historical examples

i am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 19th inst.
the stamps of canada bertram poole

things looked unpromising, he couldn’t but acknowledge, for his young client.
brave and bold horatio alger

he was not in love with me; or if he were, he was not man enough to acknowledge it.
a romantic young lady robert grant

i have to acknowledge the receipt of your two letters, dated 23d and 25th inst.
a sketch of the life of brig. gen. francis marion william dobein james

and west would have to acknowledge, further, that he had kept quiet about it for a week.
queed henry sydnor harrison

verb (transitive)
(may take a clause as object) to recognize or admit the existence, truth, or reality of
to indicate recognition or awareness of, as by a greeting, glance, etc
to express appreciation or thanks for: to acknowledge a gift
to make the receipt of known to the sender: to acknowledge a letter
to recognize, esp in legal form, the authority, rights, or claims of
v.

1550s, a blend of middle english aknow (from old english oncnawan “understand,” from on + cnawan “recognize;” see know) and middle english knowlechen “admit, acknowledge” (c.1200; see knowledge). in the merger, a parasitic -c- slipped in, so that while the kn- became a simple “n” sound (as in know), the -c- stepped up to preserve, in this word, the ancient “kn-” sound. related: acknowledged; acknowledging.