What is the meaning of acknowledgment?

noun

• The state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged.
  • usage: "the partners were delighted with the recognition of their work"; "she seems to avoid much in the way of recognition or acknowledgement of feminist work prior to her own"
  • synonyms: recognition, acknowledgement
• A short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage.
  • usage: "the student's essay failed to list several important citations"; "the acknowledgments are usually printed at the front of a book"; "the article includes mention of similar clinical cases"
  • synonyms: citation, cite, credit, reference, mention, quotation
• A statement acknowledging something or someone.
  • usage: "she must have seen him but she gave no sign of acknowledgment"; "the preface contained an acknowledgment of those who had helped her"
  • synonyms: acknowledgement