acceptation

/ˌæk.sɛpˈteɪ.ʃən/

//ˌæk.sɛpˈteɪ.ʃən// noun

"acceptation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“acceptation” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The meaning (sense) in which a word or expression is understood, or generally received.

Key facts for acceptation
PropertyValue
Headwordacceptation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌæk.sɛpˈteɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “acceptation” sits in English frequency

acceptation falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for acceptation is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌæk.sɛpˈteɪ.ʃən/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for acceptation in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English acceptacioun, acceptation, from Middle French acceptacion and Late Latin acceptātiō. By surface analysis, accept + -ation. The correct English form is acceptation, spelled A-C-C-E-P-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The meaning (sense) in which a word or expression is understood, or generally received.
  2. 2
    Acceptance; reception; favorable reception or regard; the state of being acceptable.
  3. 3
    The active divine decision to approve an act or circumstance, held by Scotists to be necessary to render it meritorious.

Etymology

From Middle English acceptacioun, acceptation, from Middle French acceptacion and Late Latin acceptātiō. By surface analysis, accept + -ation.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "acceptation"?
"acceptation" is spelled A-C-C-E-P-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæk.sɛpˈteɪ.ʃən/.
What does "acceptation" mean?
As a noun, "acceptation" means: The meaning (sense) in which a word or expression is understood, or generally received.
How do you pronounce "acceptation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "acceptation" is /ˌæk.sɛpˈteɪ.ʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "acceptation"?
From Middle English acceptacioun, acceptation, from Middle French acceptacion and Late Latin acceptātiō. By surface analysis, accept + -ation. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “acceptation”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-C-E-P-T-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌæk.sɛpˈteɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list