acceptability
Meaning
The quality of being adequate or satisfactory; the state of being acceptable.
The degree to which something is judged to be good enough or allowed.
Structure
Usage
The committee will assess the acceptability of the proposed design.
Social norms influence the acceptability of certain behaviors.
There are strict guidelines regarding the acceptability of evidence in court.
Etymology
The word 'acceptability' is built upon the Latin verb accipere, meaning 'to take or receive'. This root, combined with the adjective-forming suffix -abilis (capable of being), created the Late Latin term acceptabilis, meaning 'worthy of being received'. The English noun 'acceptability' was subsequently formed by appending the abstract noun suffix -ity (from Latin -itas) to the adjective 'acceptable'. Thus, the term's literal logic is "the quality or state of being capable of being received," which evolved into its modern meaning concerning adequacy and social or formal approval.
Analysis
- accept: From Latin acceptare, frequentative of accipere (to take, receive). Functions as the core verb root. - ability: From Latin -abilitas, a suffix forming nouns of quality or state from adjectives ending in -abilis (-able). Functions as a noun-forming suffix.