acceptation

Acceptation is often confused with "acceptance," but it is a more formal (and sometimes old-fashioned) word. Most often, it means "the sense or meaning in which a word or phrase is understood." Think of a word like "cool": its literal definition is about temperature, but in its common acceptation it can mean fashionable or impressive. You'll also see it in phrases like "another acceptation of the term," meaning an alternative sense or interpretation. More rarely—especially in older or very formal writing—acceptation can mean general acceptance or favorable reception (for example, "The proposal met with acceptation"). In everyday English, though, people almost always mean acceptance.

Acceptation refers either to (1) the particular sense in which a word is understood, or (2) the state of being generally received—though this second meaning is now uncommon. It is more than a momentary agreement; it suggests a meaning or judgment that has become established in usage. While "acceptance" usually focuses on the action (e.g., "her acceptance of the award"), "acceptation" more often points to the settled sense or the generally received understanding.

Today, you are most likely to encounter acceptation when writers are carefully discussing meaning—especially in linguistics, law, philosophy, or other formal contexts. For instance, you might discuss the "common acceptation" of a phrase, referring to how most people interpret it in ordinary use, even if that interpretation differs from a technical definition or an older sense. It captures the idea that language is shaped by how communities actually use words.

You may also see acceptation used (more rarely) in the broader sense of "general acceptance," especially in older, religious, or deliberately formal prose—sometimes with the idea of favor or being acceptable (for example, "with God"). In that usage, it suggests that something has come to be received or approved by a wider community, not merely accepted by one person in a single moment.

Therefore, use acceptation when you specifically mean "sense/meaning" or when you are echoing a formal style; otherwise, acceptance is the natural modern choice.