How a thing was actually received. Reception is measured on the far side and is the only half that decides whether it arrived.
Latin receptio (a receiving), from recipere (to receive): re- (back) + capere (to take); reception names what happens on the far side of a sending, the half that decides whether anything actually arrived.
How a thing was actually received, measured on the far side of the sending. The root places the whole judgment there: reception is the only half of an exchange that decides whether it arrived at all.