A 1969 survey by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language of editors and writers found that at the time only around half of respondents found this usage of the word unacceptable, whereas by 1999 the figure was around 80%. Merriam-Webster says that this usage is "entirely standard".
A survey in 1969 revealed that roughly half of editors and writers considered a particular use of the word unacceptable. By 1999, however, the percentage had risen to about 80%. Merriam-Webster now considers this usage standard.