acceptable

adjective

ik-ˈsep-tə-bəl How to pronounce acceptable (audio)
Definition of acceptablenext
as in adequate
of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards told the bike rental man that a ten-speed with four broken gears was not acceptable

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of acceptable For voters aged 70 or older, the acceptable form of photo identification may be expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise valid. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 Another shared that if the state could change its culture of what’s acceptable, that would be the best outcome for kids in care. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026 In a letter to employees, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the locations targeted either aren’t delivering acceptable financial results or can’t provide the kind of experience that Starbucks wants for customers and employees. — Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026 In a letter to employees, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the locations targeted either aren't delivering acceptable financial results or can't provide the kind of experience that Starbucks wants for customers and employees. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acceptable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acceptable
  1. adequate
  2. satisfactory
  3. decent
  4. fine
  5. good
  6. OK
Adjective
  • For Americans in rural communities, getting adequate health treatment has often been an uphill battle.
    — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Those criteria include having an adequate footprint, ground seismology and access to large quantities of water.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of adequate
Adjective
  • After months of negotiations failed to yield a satisfactory agreement, the union approved strike action earlier this month in a vote held in tandem with unions at the Brooklyn Museum and American Folk Art Museum.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The effort displayed by Kansas’ 14 men’s basketball players at Bill Self’s 24th annual Boot Camp proved satisfactory to the Hall of Fame Jayhawks coach.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of satisfactory
Adjective
  • While the price can be inhibiting for some — with chef pants priced as high as $190 and jackets as much as $210, the price of a decent knife or other cooking tools — Argoti feels the heavy usage justifies the cost for him.
    — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The other was a decent man constantly being tormented by God in order to test his faith.
    — Chuck Lorre, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of decent
Adjective
  • Her finest moment, however, comes at the aforementioned weed seltzer party.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Cage has described Spider-Noir as a Roy Lichtenstein mash-up of fine-art film and mass-cultural television.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fine
Adjective
  • Lucy’s constant sense of invention sometimes falters under the album’s new, megawatt spotlight, lacking the enticing mystery that gives their best music its power.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Among those surveyed, Latinos who didn’t vote in 2024 were more likely than those who had voted to have economic frustrations, like struggling to earn enough money or find a good job.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of good
Adjective
  • Sometimes there isn’t enough time, mental, emotional, or physical capacity to take on another commitment, and that’s okay, too.
    — Jasmine Johnson, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Happily, Aesha’s mom is ten years sober, and everyone is okay.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of OK

Browse Nearby Words

acceptability
acceptable
acceptably
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Cite this Entry

“Acceptable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acceptable. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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