acatar

Senses

1. 1.

   to comply with, to abide by

   to follow or obey a rule, law, decision, or order

2. 2.

   to respect, to defer to

   to show respect or deference to someone's authority or opinion

3. 3.

   to accept, to acknowledge

   to recognize and accept something as valid or legitimate

Examples

• "Todos os funcionários devem acatar as normas da empresa."

  All employees must comply with the company's regulations.

• "O réu se recusou a acatar a decisão do juiz."

  The defendant refused to abide by the judge's decision.

• "É importante acatar as orientações médicas durante o tratamento."

  It's important to follow medical advice during treatment.

Usage

Formal register, commonly used in legal, professional, and institutional contexts. Often collocates with "ordem" (order), "decisão" (decision), "normas" (regulations), and "orientações" (guidelines). The preposition "a" is not used after this verb (acatar algo, not *acatar a algo).