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approval

American  
[uh-proo-vuhl] / əˈpru vəl /

noun

  1. the act of approving; approbation.

  2. formal permission or sanction.

  3. Philately. one of a group of selected stamps sent by a dealer to a prospective customer for examination and either purchase or return.

idioms

  1. on approval, without obligation to buy unless satisfactory to the customer upon trial or examination and, otherwise, returnable.

    We ship merchandise on approval.
approval British  
/ əˈpruːvəl /

noun

  1. the act of approving

  2. formal agreement; sanction

  3. a favourable opinion; commendation

  4. (of articles for sale) for examination with an option to buy or return

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
approval More Idioms  

  1. see on approval; seal of approval.

Other Word Forms

  • nonapproval noun
  • preapproval noun
  • proapproval adjective
  • reapproval noun
  • self-approval noun

Etymology

Origin of approval

First recorded in 1680–90; approve + -al 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He said during this period he saw safety teams struggling to get approval to recruit small numbers of staff while the company's focus was on expanding Reels.

From BBC

The International Energy Agency on Sunday said emergency reserves of oil would soon start flowing, after last week’s approval of the release of 400 million barrels held in strategic reserves.

From MarketWatch

The International Energy Agency on Sunday said emergency reserves of oil would soon start flowing, after last week’s approval of the release of 400 million barrels held in strategic reserves.

From MarketWatch

Perpetual will license its Perpetual Private and Perpetual Wealth brands to Bain Capital for 15 years as part of the deal, which requires approval by Australia’s foreign investment regulator.

From The Wall Street Journal

Discovery and Paramount Global — remain involved in corporate restructuring and potential deals that could require regulatory approval from federal agencies.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.