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acquiesce

verb
ac·​qui·​esce | \ ˌa-kwē-ˈes How to pronounce acquiesce (audio) \
acquiesced; acquiescing

Definition of acquiesce

intransitive verb

: to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively —often used with in or to
Other Words from acquiesce Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about acquiesce

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Synonyms & Antonyms for acquiesce

Synonyms

accede, agree, assent, come round, consent, subscribe

Antonyms

dissent

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Choose the Right Synonym for acquiesce

assent, consent, accede, acquiesce, agree, subscribe mean to concur with what has been proposed. assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions. voters assented to the proposal consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired. consented to their daughter's going accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent. officials acceded to the prisoners' demands acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition. acquiesced to his boss's wishes agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion. finally agreed to come along subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support. subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Did You Know?

Acquiesce means essentially "to comply quietly," so it should not surprise you to learn that it is ultimately derived from the Latin verb quiescere, meaning "to be quiet." It arrived in English around 1620, via the French acquiescer, with the now obsolete sense "to rest satisfied." The earliest known recorded use of the word acquiesce in the sense of "to agree or comply" appeared in the writings of the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes in 1651. In his masterpiece Leviathan, Hobbes argued that people must subject themselves completely to a sovereign and should obey the teachings of the church. Encouraging his readers to adopt his position he wrote, "Our Beleefe . . . is in the Church; whose word we take, and acquiesce therein."

Examples of acquiesce in a Sentence

… the tender understanding with which he had acquiesced to her wish not to consummate their relationship out of wedlock. — Dorothy West, The Wedding, 1995 … he seems to have acquiesced in his Christian Scientist wife's refusal to provide medical care … — Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review, 17 Dec. 1995 The main body of Shi'is, in and around Iraq, accepted 'Abbasid rule, or at least acquiesced in it. — Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples, 1991 He passively acquired the reputation of being a snob, and acquiesced to it … — George V. Higgins, Harper's, September 1984 They demanded it, and he acquiesced. apparently the contractor expected me to acquiesce to my own fleecing
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Days after a million people marched on June 9 to demand the controversial bill be withdrawn, Lam said that acquiescing to the demand would be like a mother giving in to her spoiled child. — Vivienne Chow, Quartz, "Hong Kong’s protesters are trying to break free from the “old seafood” generation," 27 Aug. 2019 Even if a third Spider-Man movie makes a little less without the MCU connection, Sony still stands to profit more than its would by acquiescing to Disney's terms. — Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, "How 'Spider-Man' Divorce Shows Ugly Side of Fandom," 22 Aug. 2019 To fall in line with their line of thinking is to acquiesce on choice and be suckered into believing the tired sentiment that only another old white man can defeat Sweet Potato Saddam. — Michael Arceneaux, Essence, "Opinion: I’m Not Overlooking Joe Biden’s Gaffes Just Because Donald Trump Is A Racist Simpleton," 14 Aug. 2019 The reason digital assistants acquiesce to harassment isn’t just sexism or gender inequality in the tech world, as disturbing and prevalent as those may be. — Noam Cohen, WIRED, "Why Siri and Alexa Weren’t Built to Smack Down Harassment," 6 June 2019 An ambitious manager might have seen a rare opportunity, acted in haste and acquiesced to the seller's price. — Glenn Peoples, Billboard, "Did Scooter Braun Overpay for Big Machine Label Group? Not at All," 29 July 2019 Nike acquiesced even though some product had been sent to retailers. — Gary Peterson, The Denver Post, "Nike rakes in $3 billion after Colin Kaepernick calls foul on shoe," 6 July 2019 These days, what were once authoritative and inherently conservative reference sources easily acquiesce to mob rule. — Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, "Semantic Drift," 22 July 2019 When the filmmaker acquiesced, two classics were minted: the film, and the watch itself. — Olivia Martin, Town & Country, "Marlon Brando’s Iconic Rolex Goes Up For Auction," 19 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acquiesce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of acquiesce

1613, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for acquiesce

borrowed from French acquiescer, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin acquiēscere "to rest, find peace, be satisfied (with)," from ad- ad- + quiēscere "to repose, be quiet" — more at quiescent

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More Definitions for acquiesce

acquiesce

verb
How to pronounce acquiesce (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of acquiesce

formal : to accept, agree, or allow something to happen by staying silent or by not arguing

See the full definition for acquiesce in the English Language Learners Dictionary

acquiesce

verb
ac·​qui·​esce | \ ˌa-kwē-ˈes How to pronounce acquiesce (audio) \
acquiesced; acquiescing

Kids Definition of acquiesce

: to accept, agree, or give consent by keeping silent or by not making objections They acquiesced to the demands.

acquiesce

intransitive verb
ac·​qui·​esce | \ ˌa-kwē-ˈes How to pronounce acquiesce (audio) \
acquiesced; acquiescing

Legal Definition of acquiesce

: to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively —often used with in and sometimes with to

Other Words from acquiesce

acquiescence \ ˌa-​kwē-​ˈes-​ᵊns

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