Obs. [ad. L. acceptiōn-em, n. of action f. accept- ppl. stem of accipĕre; see ACCEPT. Used by Wyclif to translate the Vulg. acceptio persōnārum (Rom. ii. 11, etc.) acception of persons, a phrase occurring hundreds of times down to 1700, when it was supplanted by ACCEPTING, ACCEPTANCE. In the general sense of ACCEPTANCE = reception, the word is rather rare; but in that of ACCEPTATION = signification, in regular use fram 6 till the beginning of 8. Cf. Fr. acception, which has likewise yielded to acceptation in the general sense, but still remains in senses 2 and 3, acception de personne, acception d’un mot.]
1. The act of accepting; the receiving or taking of anything presented; acceptance, reception.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 427/1. To euerichone [he] rendryd his owne by right withoute ony accepcion or takyng of money.
1578. Lyte, Niewe Herball, Pref. 2. Most humbly craving a favourable acception hereof.
1624. J. Smith, Virginia, v. 194. Acknowledgement and acception of all resident Gouernours.
1662. H. Stubbe, Indian Nectar, i. 5. The universal acception of this drink amongst the most sober.
2. Acception of persons or faces. [A Hebrew phrase massō phānīm, ‘accepting of the face,’ verbally rendered in Gr. προσωποληφία, L. acceptio persōnæ, -ārum, the latter simply adapted in Fr. and Eng.] The receiving of the personal advances of any one with favor; hence, corrupt acceptance, or favoritism, due to a person’s rank, relationship, influence, power to bribe, etc. See ACCEPT 2. (The earliest sense in Eng.)
1382. Wyclif, Rom. ii. 11. For accepciouns of persoones, that is, to putte oon bifore another withoute desert, is not anentis God. [Tindale parcialyte, Cranmer and 1611 respect, Rheims acception.]
1494. Fabyan, VI. clxi. 154. He shuld purpose the sothe & trowthe withoute accepcion of parsonys, and ponysshe mysdoers, as well the ryche as the poore.
1677. Gale, Crt. of Gentiles, II. IV. 372. Acception of persons has place only where … any favors one more than another.
3. The accepted or received meaning or signification of a word or phrase; = ACCEPTATION 4.
1543. Necessary Doctrine, B. Faythe in the fyrst acception, is consydered as it is a seuerall gifte of God by it selfe.
1612. T. Taylor, Titus i. 7. (1619), 121. The Apostle’s argument and context can admit no other acception.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 186. That is the common acception, in six hundred places it is so taken.
1711. J. Greenwood, Eng. Gram., 86. This Acception of the term.
¶ Acception is frequently found for EXCEPTION, with which it was phonetically confounded.
