reception
noun
re·cep·tion
ri-ˈsep-shən 
1
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
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
The announcement was planned for Wednesday, Nov. 13, during a morning reception at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.
—
Samantha Dunn, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
Venus at the top of your chart guarantees a warm reception with bosses and VIPs.
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
Playing in his first game since Feb. 11, McCaffrey had 19 touches for 107 yards (13 carries for 39 yards, six receptions for 68 yards) in the 49ers’ 23-20 win over the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
With its climate leadership perceived to be weakening, New Zealand may get a cooler reception at COP than in previous years, especially from Pacific Island nations, Cooper said.
—Mahalia Dobson, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reception 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Samantha Dunn, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
Venus at the top of your chart guarantees a warm reception with bosses and VIPs.
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
Playing in his first game since Feb. 11, McCaffrey had 19 touches for 107 yards (13 carries for 39 yards, six receptions for 68 yards) in the 49ers’ 23-20 win over the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
With its climate leadership perceived to be weakening, New Zealand may get a cooler reception at COP than in previous years, especially from Pacific Island nations, Cooper said.
—Mahalia Dobson, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reception
Dictionary Entries Near reception
Cite this Entry
“Reception.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reception. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share