A more thorough explanation:

An acknowledged father is a man who has admitted to being the biological father of a child born to an unmarried couple. This admission can be made by signing a voluntary written acknowledgment of paternity or by an agreement between the father and the child's mother. Once the father has been acknowledged, he has all the rights and obligations of a parent, including the duty to raise the child.

For example, in Texas, an acknowledged father is defined as a man who has established a father-child relationship by signing an acknowledgment of paternity with the intent to establish paternity. Similarly, in Alabama, an acknowledged father is defined as the person claiming to be the genetic father of the child who has signed an acknowledgment of paternity with the intent to establish paternity.

It's important to note that an acknowledged father can rescind the acknowledgment within a limited period and challenge it after the expiration of the period for rescission on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact.

Overall, an acknowledged father is a man who has taken responsibility for being the biological father of a child and has all the rights and obligations of a parent.