230 THE FACTS ON FILE GUIDE TO GOOD WRITING accede/exceed These two verbs have different meanings. Accede means “agree” (accede to their demands), while exceed means “be superior to” or “go beyond” (exceed all expectations). Note that unlike exceed, accede is always followed by to. accept/except The verbs accept and except should not be confused since they have contrasting meanings, despite the similarity in their sound. Accept means “receive” or “agree to”; except means “leave out,” “omit,” or “exclude”: He accepted the gift. She accepted their argument. Everyone must pay the entrance charge, children excepted. Note that while except exists as a preposition, meaning “excluding,” and conjunction, meaning “otherwise than,” as well as a verb, accept exists only as a verb. access/excess The nouns access and excess vary in both meaning and pronunciation. Access means “entry” or “means or right of approach” (access to the courtyard, Internet access, access to the collection), while excess means “surplus” or “overindulgence” (an excess of good things, a life of excess). As regards pronunciation, the stress always falls on the first syllable in access but on the first or second syllable in excess. activate/actuate These two verbs are similar in meaning, both signifying “make active” or “put into operation.” Activate is the more commonly used word (activate the boiler), actuate being reserved chiefly for technical or formal contexts: The computer is actuated by a series of impulses. Actuate is also used where an element of personal motivation is implied: The decision was actuated by fear. actuate/activate
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ACTIVATE/ACTUATE.
adapt/adopt These two verbs are similar in appearance but are unrelated in meaning. Adapt means “adjust” or “modify” (adapt to changed circumstances; adapt an engine to run on diesel fuel), whereas adopt means “accept” (adopt the policy as your own) and also has the specific meaning “take as your child” (adopt a baby). adherence/adhesion The nouns adherence and adhesion both come from the verb adhere, meaning “to stick,” but differ slightly in meaning. Adherence means “loyalty” or “obedience” (adherence to official policy, adherence to the party), while adhesion more literally refers to “attachment” or “sticking together” (adhesion of the stamp to the letter).