approval rating

American  

[uh-proov-uhl rayt-ing] / əˈpruv əl ˌreɪt ɪŋ /

noun

plural

approval ratings

1. a figure, expressed as a percentage, that indicates the proportion of respondents who express a favorable opinion of the performance of a particular person or organization, especially a political leader or a government administration.

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Other Word Forms

• disapproval rating
  noun

Example Sentences

Recent polling – including by state-run agencies - suggests his domestic approval rating is falling.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

There’s a direct correlation between a president’s approval rating and the way his party performs at the midpoint of his term.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

His approval rating fell to 36.4% at the end of March, a 10-percentage-point drop from a year earlier, according to the AtlasIntel pollster.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The new mayor's approval rating, according to two polls released this week, stood at 48 percent with New York residents and 43 percent among voters.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Praised throughout the country, particularly in the nation’s newspapers, his approval rating reached an all-time high.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler