reception

noun

re·​cep·​tion ri-ˈsep-shən 

1

: the act or action or an instance of receiving: such as

a

: receipt

the reception and distribution of funds

b

: admission

reception into the church

c

: response, reaction

the play met with a mixed reception

d

: the receiving of a radio or television broadcast

e

: the catching of a forward pass by a receiver

2

: a social gathering often for the purpose of extending a formal welcome

Did you know?

Reception is the noun form of receive. So at a formal reception, guests are received or welcomed or "taken in". A bad TV reception means the signal isn't being received well. When a new novel receives good reviews, we say it has met with a good critical reception. If it gets a poor reception, on the other hand, that's the same as saying that it wasn't well-received.

Synonyms

• affair
• bash
• binge
• blast
• blowout
• do
• event
• fete
• fête
• function
• get-together
• party
• shindig

Examples of reception in a Sentence

The school held a reception for the new students and their families.

He decided to run for a seat on the school committee only a year after his reception into the community.

Her job is to deal with the reception of donations.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nabers finished with five receptions for 62 yards, including a key touchdown. —David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025

Thirty-odd years later, Lynch remained proud of the madcap road movie, even as it had been largely overshadowed in his filmography, due in part to its polarizing critical reception and absence from streaming platforms. —Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025

The reception ends at 4, and they’re supposed to just d--- around for 5 hours until 9PM with nothing to do? —Erin Clack, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025

Marshall and co-founder Tina Barkley were on hand for the opening Wednesday and congratulated the artists at a reception held at Eataly, a longtime partner that has one of the mannequins on its ground floor. —Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English recepcion, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French reception, from Latin reception-, receptio, from recipere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reception

• reception area
• reception class
• reception room

Kids Definition

reception

noun

re·​cep·​tion ri-ˈsep-shən 

1

: the act or process of receiving, welcoming, or accepting

a warm reception

2

: the receiving of a radio or television broadcast

3

: a social gathering

a wedding reception