different between acceptable vs alright

English

Alternative forms

• acceptible (dated)

Etymology

From Middle English acceptable, from Old French acceptable, from Late Latin accept?bilis (“worthy of acceptance”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /æk.?s?p.t?.b?l/

Adjective

acceptable (comparative more acceptable, superlative most acceptable)

1. worthy, decent, sure of being accepted or received with at least moderate pleasure

2. Barely worthy, less than excellent; passable.

Antonyms

• unacceptable
• inacceptable

Derived terms

• acceptableness
• acceptably

Related terms

• acceptability

Translations

Further reading

• acceptable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• acceptable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• acceptable at OneLook Dictionary Search

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin accept?bilis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /?k.s?p?ta.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ak.sep?ta.ble/
• Rhymes: -a?le

Adjective

acceptable (masculine and feminine plural acceptables)

1. acceptable

   Antonym: inacceptable

Derived terms

• acceptablement
• inacceptable

Further reading

• “acceptable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “acceptable” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “acceptable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “acceptable” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Danish

Adjective

acceptable

1. definite singular of acceptabel
2. plural of acceptabel

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin accept?bilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ak.s?p.tabl/

Adjective

acceptable (plural acceptables)

1. acceptable

Antonyms

• inacceptable

Related terms

• accepter

Further reading

• “acceptable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Swedish

Adjective

acceptable

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of acceptabel.

Anagrams

• acceptabel

English

Alternative forms

• all right
• aight (AAVE, UK)
• awright
• oright

Etymology

From all +? right. Compare Old English eallriht (“all-right, just, exactly”), equivalent to al- (“all”) +? right.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??l??a?t/, /???a?t/
• Rhymes: -a?t

Adjective

alright (not comparable)

1. (often proscribed) Alternative form of all right; satisfactory; okay; in acceptable order.

   Synonyms: acceptable, adequate, fine; see also Thesaurus:satisfactory

   • 1662 : Cantus, songs and fancies, to three, four, or five parts, both apt for voices and viols : with a brief introduction to musick, as is taught by Thomas Davidson, in the Musick-School of Aberdene by Thomas Davidson, iii. sig. B/1

     Where ever I go, both to and fro

     You have my heart alright.

   • 1922 : Ulysses by James Joyce, chapter 18

     …if I went by his advices every blessed hat I put on does that suit me yes take that thats alright the one like a wedding cake standing up miles off my head…

   • 1932 : "Goodbye, Christ" by Langston Hughes

     You did alright in your day, I reckon—

     But that day's gone now.

   • 1939 : Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, chapter 1.40

     Bladyughfoulmoecklenburgwhurawhorascortastrumpapornanennykocksapastippatappatupperstrippuckputtanach, eh? You have it alright.

   • 2000 : House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, page 105

     "You're alright Johnny," she said in a way that actually made him feel alright. At least for a little while.

Interjection

alright

1. (informal) Used to indicate acknowledgement or acceptance; OK.
2. (Britain, informal) A generic greeting; hello; how are you.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:hello

Related terms

• (greeting): alright me babber, alright me lover

Derived terms

• alrighty

Usage notes

• Some distinguish between alright and all right by using alright to mean "fine, good, okay" and all right to mean "all correct". Alternatively (or in addition to the previous), Alright may be used as an interjection akin to "OK", whilst all right is used in the sense of "unharmed, healthy".
• The contracted term is considered nonstandard by Garner's Modern American Usage and American Heritage Dictionary. Indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary notes that although analogous forms exist in words such as already, altogether, and always, "the contracted form is strongly criticized in the vast majority of usage guides, but without cogent reasons". The Oxford Dictionaries also conclude that "alright remains nonstandard" and that it is "still regarded as being unacceptable in formal writing". Other dictionaries and style manuals also consider it incorrect or less correct than all right.

Descendants

• ? Afrikaans: oraait

References