The Collaborative International Dictionary
acknowledge \ac*knowl"edge\ ([a^]k*n[o^]l"[e^]j), v. t. [imp. & p. p. acknowledged ([a^]k*n[o^]l"[e^]jd); p. pr. & vb. n. acknowledging ([a^]k*n[o^]l"[e^]j*[i^]ng).] [Prob. fr. pref. a- + the verb knowledge. See Knowledge, and cf. Acknow.]
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To own or admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in; as, to acknowledge the being of a God.
I acknowledge my transgressions.
--Ps. li. 3.For ends generally acknowledged to be good.
--Macaulay. -
To own or recognize in a particular character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him.
--Prov. iii. 6.By my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee.
--Shak. -
To own with gratitude or as a benefit or an obligation; as, to acknowledge a favor, the receipt of a letter.
They his gifts acknowledged none.
--Milton. -
To own as genuine; to assent to, as a legal instrument, to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form; as, to acknowledge a deed.
Syn: To avow; proclaim; recognize; own; admit; allow; concede; confess.
Usage: Acknowledge, Recognize. Acknowledge is opposed to keep back, or conceal, and supposes that something had been previously known to us (though perhaps not to others) which we now feel bound to lay open or make public. Thus, a man acknowledges a secret marriage; one who has done wrong acknowledges his fault; and author acknowledges his obligation to those who have aided him; we acknowledge our ignorance. Recognize supposes that we have either forgotten or not had the evidence of a thing distinctly before our minds, but that now we know it (as it were) anew, or receive and admit in on the ground of the evidence it brings. Thus, we recognize a friend after a long absence. We recognize facts, principles, truths, etc., when their evidence is brought up fresh to the mind; as, bad men usually recognize the providence of God in seasons of danger. A foreign minister, consul, or agent, of any kind, is recognized on the ground of his producing satisfactory credentials. See also Confess.
Wiktionary
vb. 1 (present participle of acknowledg English) 2 (present participle of acknowledge English)
Usage examples of "acknowledging".
This is true of everything a man does from such persuasive faith, whether he is acknowledging God, worshiping Him at home or in church, or doing good deeds.
Instead of acknowledging it he would deny it, and one who denies divine providence in his heart denies God also.
In despair, she saw the clock tick down to zero, watching as Rennell resisted acknowledging his incapacity.
Kuhl, that retarded people often resist acknowledging their limitations?
Monk paused, his voice acknowledging her worry and, perhaps, his own misgivings about Fleet.
Robespierre was attended with fatal consequences to him, and that his justification consisted in acknowledging that his friends were very different from what he had supposed them to be.
It has been said that at the interview at Erfurt Bonaparte consented to the usurpation of that province by Alexander in return for the complaisance of the latter in acknowledging Joseph as King of Spain and the Indies.
When the newspapers of our side had discovered and published it, and put it beyond his power to deny it, then he came forward and made a virtue of necessity by acknowledging it.
You may, therefore, comprehend, that being of no country, asking no protection from any government, acknowledging no man as my brother, not one of the scruples that arrest the powerful, or the obstacles which paralyze the weak, paralyzes or arrests me.
Next to the merit of infallibility which you appear to possess, I rank that of candidly acknowledging a fault.
You appear to consider this a point of honor, and it may be for this reason, that you have delayed acknowledging your name.
Sapientia had let the spoon pass by without acknowledging that it, or anything, existed.
The Eagle glanced up as Sanglant walked up and nodded, acknowledging him.
I will hope that in feeling my guilt--in acknowledging the superexcellence of virtue, I fulfil, in part, his design.
Raby had that touch of generosity in her own character that never permitted her to see merit without openly acknowledging, and endeavouring to reward it.