Explanations:- The acetate ion serves as the conjugate base of a weak acid, acetic acid. According to the Bronsted-Lowry acid-base theory, "Acids donate protons, while bases accept protons."
For acetate to function as a base, it needs to accept a proton. Water acts as an amphoteric substance, meaning it can behave both as an acid and a base. Let us now write the reaction between acetate ion and water to illustrate how it operates as a base.

In this reaction, the acetate ion has taken a proton from water, identifying it as a base, while water donates a proton, qualifying it as an acid.
Furthermore, acetic acid is the conjugate acid of the acetate ion, while hydroxide ion is the conjugate base of water.