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View synonyms for receive

receive

[ri-seev]

verb (used with object)

received, receiving 
  1. to take into one's possession (something offered or delivered).

    to receive many gifts.

    Antonyms: give
  2. to have (something) bestowed, conferred, etc..

    to receive an honorary degree.

  3. to have delivered or brought to one.

    to receive a letter.

  4. to get or be informed of.

    to receive instructions;

    to receive news.

  5. to be burdened with; sustain.

    to receive a heavy load.

  6. to hold, bear, or contain.

    The nut receives a bolt and a washer.

    The plaster receives the impression of the mold.

  7. to take into the mind; apprehend mentally.

    to receive an idea.

  8. to accept from another by hearing or listening.

    A priest received his confession.

  9. to meet with; experience.

    to receive attention.

  10. to suffer the injury of.

    He received a terrific blow on the forehead.

  11. to be at home to (visitors).

    They received their neighbors on Sunday.

    Synonyms: welcome, entertain, admit
  12. to greet or welcome (guests, visitors, etc.) upon arriving.

    They received us at the front door.

  13. to admit (a person) to a place.

    The butler received him and asked him to wait in the drawing room.

  14. to admit into an organization, membership, etc..

    to receive someone into the group.

  15. to accept as authoritative, valid, true, or approved.

    a principle universally received.

  16. to react to in the manner specified.

    to receive a proposal with contempt;

    She received the job offer with joy.



verb (used without object)

received, receiving 
  1. to receive something.

  2. to receive visitors or guests.

  3. Radio.,  to convert incoming electromagnetic waves into the original signal.

  4. to receive the Eucharist.

    He receives every Sunday.

receive

/ rɪˈsiːv /

verb

  1. to take (something offered) into one's hand or possession

  2. to have (an honour, blessing, etc) bestowed

  3. to accept delivery or transmission of (a letter, telephone call, etc)

  4. to be informed of (news or information)

  5. to hear and consent to or acknowledge (an oath, confession, etc)

  6. (of a vessel or container) to take or hold (a substance, commodity, or certain amount)

  7. to support or sustain (the weight of something); bear

  8. to apprehend or perceive (ideas, etc)

  9. to experience, undergo, or meet with

    to receive a crack on the skull

  10. (also intr) to be at home to (visitors)

  11. to greet or welcome (visitors or guests), esp in formal style

  12. to admit (a person) to a place, society, condition, etc

    he was received into the priesthood

  13. to accept or acknowledge (a precept or principle) as true or valid

  14. to convert (incoming radio signals) into sounds, pictures, etc, by means of a receiver

  15. (also intr) tennis to play at the other end from the server; be required to return (service)

  16. (also intr) to partake of (the Christian Eucharist)

  17. (intr) to buy and sell stolen goods

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • interreceive verb (used with object)
  • nonreceiving adjective
  • prereceive verb (used with object)
  • unreceiving adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of receive1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English receven, from Old North French receivre, from Latin recipere, equivalent to re- re- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of receive1

C13: from Old French receivre , from Latin recipere to take back, from re- + capere to take
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

At 11:53 p.m., the Oxnard Police Department received a call of a reported fight between a man and a woman near East Wooley Road and Industrial Avenue.

The agency specified that the frozen pizza “did not receive the benefit of import reinspection” once imported from Italy to retail locations in California.

From Salon

Mortgages for a person’s main home tend to receive more favorable terms than for a second home or an investment property.

From Salon

Roger Milla had already put Cameroon ahead in extra time when Higuita received an awkward pass and took a loose touch that was pounced on by the forward, who rolled in a decisive second.

From BBC

Again by the end of another fruitful season, she was packing her bags and Batlle y Font was receiving enquiries from multiple clubs in Europe.

From BBC

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Related Words

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When To Use

Spelling tips for receive

The word receive is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it can be hard to remember if the [ s] sound is spelled with a c or an s. Second, the order of the middle vowels can be tricky. Is it ei or ieHow to spell receive: When you receive something you want to C (see) it. This reminds you that it is spelled with a c, not an s. To remember the order of the vowels, keep in mind the classic mnemonic device: I before E except after C. Since receive is spelled with a C, the E goes before the I.

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