receive

The word “receive” means to be given, sent, or handed something. In plain terms, getting or being given something, whether an object, a message, guests, or a signal.

“Receive” is pronounced rih-SEEV (/ɹɪˈsiːv/ in IPA).

Here is “receive” used in a sentence: “She received a package from her sister this morning.”

Words with a similar meaning to “receive” include acquire, accept, attain, come by, cop and enlist.

The opposite of “receive” — its antonyms — are give, lose, sell, get rid of and unacquire.

“Receive” is a verb.

The word “receive” comes from Latin. From Old French receivre and Latin recipere, from re- ("back") plus capio ("to take") — related to conceive, deceive, and perceive.

“Receive” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

To receive something is simply to get it — it arrives in your hands. To accept it is to agree to take it and keep it. The difference is choice: you can receive a gift you did not want and then decline to accept it. Receiving is passive; accepting is a deliberate act.

'Receive' is the correct spelling. It follows the classic rule 'i before e, except after c' — because the two letters come right after a c, the e goes first: c-e-i-v-e. 'Recieve' is one of the most common spelling mistakes in English, but it is always wrong.

The main opposites are 'give' and 'send' — the actions of the other party. If you receive a parcel, someone else sent it; if you receive a gift, someone gave it. 'Donate' and 'hand over' work too, all describing the act of passing something to another rather than getting it.