Is "receival" a valid word for the act of receiving something?
In the course of reviewing a standard operating procedure, I came across the subheading: "Receival, Costing and Charging of Work".
I immediately began to doubt whether the word "receival" was a legitimate equivalent to the noun "receipt", as in: receipt of samples...
My gut feeling is that use of "receival" in place of the word "receipt", as above, is either outmoded/archaic, or entirely incorrect.
Several Google searches of the word tend to confirm my suspicion that "receival" is used very rarely these days, and generally only occurs as a noun modifier. (For example: receival bin, receival limits, Grain Receival Standards.)
Am I correct in assuming that "receival" should not be used as a post-qualified* noun, such as in: receival of work?
*(I just made up that compound adjective; feel free to correct me if you are aware of the proper term.)
If you check it with onelook you will find this noun mentioned in only two sources (which is really rare) and none of them is a major source.
Searching through the books finds about 5,000 results which is not so shabby, but as you point out, usually it is a noun modifier, but you will find cases when it is used on its own.
The two sources that have entries define it differently
- Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia defines it as reception
- Burton's Legal Thesaurus, 4E defines it as acquisition
As Mr. Disappointment mentions there is a word (receipt) that is more common and more clearly defined, so unless you have a very good reason to use it I would leave it alone.
An example of (?)acceptable usage, might be:
receival of receipts
to avoid repetition of a word in different sense.
You are correct, the right word would be receipt:
From The Free Dictionary:
re·ceipt
- The act of receiving: We are in receipt of your letter.
Receival is not in any of my dictionaries, physical, or on-line.