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.
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
Gaga concludes by promising to not do Joker 3, referencing the terrible reception to Joker: Folie à Deux, including a recent Razzie Award.
—
Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Ultimately, though, the hostile reception the show received took over in time.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
Across six seasons, Brown has 322 receptions for 3,735 yards and 28 touchdowns in 74 career games.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2025
After tearing his Achilles in 2023, Patrick finished last season with 33 receptions for 394 and four touchdowns.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025
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.
Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Ultimately, though, the hostile reception the show received took over in time.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
Across six seasons, Brown has 322 receptions for 3,735 yards and 28 touchdowns in 74 career games.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2025
After tearing his Achilles in 2023, Patrick finished last season with 33 receptions for 394 and four touchdowns.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reception
Cite this Entry
“Reception.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reception. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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