Mid 16th century; earliest use found in Edmund Bonner (?1500–1569), bishop of London. From Middle French acceptilation release from a debt by an acquittance without payment or its etymon classical Latin acceptilātiōn-, acceptilātiō formal verbal release from an obligation (2nd cent. a.d. in legal context), properly acceptī lātiō from acceptī, genitive of acceptum receipts as opposed to expenditure, receipt side of an account, written receipt, use as noun of neuter past participle of accipere + lātiō.