acceptable

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #7336

Meanings

1

adj
Good enough to be approved or allowed.

The noise levels in the building are within acceptable limits.
2

adj
Good enough, but not excellent; just passable.

The food was acceptable, but nothing special.
3

adj
Considered correct or proper according to accepted standards.

That spelling is no longer acceptable in formal writing.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · good enough to be approved... satisfactory

2 adj · good enough, but not... adequate all right decent fair fine

Word family

Derived forms acceptableness acceptablyinacceptablynonacceptable

Related forms acceptability

Etymology

From Middle English acceptable, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French acceptable, from Late Latin acceptābilis (“worthy of acceptance”). Morphologically accept + -able.

*kap- Proto-Indo-European acceptable Middle English acceptābilis la-lat

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Register & Style

External links

# acceptable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/
**Frequency rank:** 7336

## Meanings
1. Good enough to be approved or allowed.
2. Good enough, but not excellent; just passable.
3. Considered correct or proper according to accepted standards.

## Examples
- The noise levels in the building are within acceptable limits.
- The food was acceptable, but nothing special.
- That spelling is no longer acceptable in formal writing.

## Derived Forms
- acceptableness
- acceptably
- inacceptably
- nonacceptable

## Related Forms
- acceptability

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kap-
- Root: acceptable
- Root: acceptābilis
- Affix: -able - able to be

## Etymology
From Middle English acceptable, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French acceptable, from Late Latin acceptābilis (“worthy of acceptance”). Morphologically accept + -able.

## AI Etymology
Acceptable comes from Middle English acceptable, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French acceptable, from Late Latin acceptābilis (“worthy of acceptance”). Morphologically accept plus -able. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *kap-. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Register & Style

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