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reception

noun

Simple meaning

A social engagement, usually to formally welcome someone.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

rihsehpshuhn

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɹɪˈsɛpʃən

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. A social engagement, usually to formally welcome someone.

  2. The act of receiving

  3. The desk of a hotel or office where guests are received.

  4. A reaction; the treatment received on first talking to a person, arriving at a place, etc.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A social engagement, usually to formally welcome someone.

Used this way, reception is a reasonably familiar word with a mildly favourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Slightly positive
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Positive and appreciative
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use reception

  • “She did not expect the cold reception she received from her superiors.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Desk

reception desk

Formal

cordial reception

Conscious

reception area

Other combinations

reception roomwedding receptionfavourable receptionreception givenwarm reception

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • receptionistnounPerson or profession

    A secretary whose main duty is to answer the telephone and receive visitors.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • reception desknounCompound term

    A counter (as in a hotel) where guests are received.

  • reception linenounCompound term

    A line of people (hosts and guests of honor) who welcome the guests at a reception party.

  • reception roomnounCompound term

    A room for receiving and entertaining visitors (as in a private house or hotel).

  • favourable receptionnounCompound term

    Acceptance as satisfactory.

  • cordial receptionnounCompound term

    Kindness in welcoming guests or strangers.

  • wedding receptionnounCompound term

    A reception for wedding guests held after the wedding.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: social engagement or usually to formally welcome someone

receiving

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.