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
There will be an official reception attended by Iraq’s prime minister, senior government officials and religious leaders before the cortege travels to the Imam Ali Shrine, an important pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims.
—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
The evening closed with a cocktail reception featuring live DJ sets and synchronized audiovisual projections.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 July 2026
And then there's Garland, which is like partying at your own lodge in the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere Michigan where cellphone reception can be a legit issue.
—
Joe Kinsey Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
In Week 18, Royals had a season-high 43 snaps and made his only two receptions of the season for 4 yards.
—
Kansas City Star,
3 July 2026
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.
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
The evening closed with a cocktail reception featuring live DJ sets and synchronized audiovisual projections.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 July 2026
And then there's Garland, which is like partying at your own lodge in the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere Michigan where cellphone reception can be a legit issue.
—
Joe Kinsey Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
In Week 18, Royals had a season-high 43 snaps and made his only two receptions of the season for 4 yards.
—
Kansas City Star,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for reception
Cite this Entry
“Reception.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reception. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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
