approve
Americanverb (used with object)
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approves,
present (3rd person singular)
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approved,
past participle, past
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approving
present participle
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to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good; judge favorably.
to approve the policies of the administration.
- Synonyms:
- esteem, appreciate
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to consent or agree to.
Father approved our plan to visit Chicago.
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to confirm or sanction formally; ratify.
The Senate promptly approved the bill.
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Obsolete.
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to demonstrate; show.
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to make good; attest.
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to prove by trial.
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to convict.
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verb (used without object)
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approves,
present (3rd person singular)
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approved,
past participle, past
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approving
present participle
verb
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to consider fair, good, or right; commend (a person or thing)
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(tr) to authorize or sanction
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obsolete (tr) to demonstrate or prove by trial
verb
Synonym Usage
Approve, commend, praise mean to have, and usually to express, a favorable opinion. To approve is to have a very good opinion, expressed or not, of someone or something: He approved the new plan. To commend is to speak or write approvingly, often formally and publicly, to congratulate or honor for something done: to commend a worker for a job well done. To praise is to speak or write, often in glowing and emotional terms, about one or more persons, actions, plans, etc.: to praise someone's courage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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approvednessnoun
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preapprovverb
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reapproveverb
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nonapprovedadjective
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self-approvedadjective
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self-approvingadjective
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unapprovedadjective
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unapprovingadjective
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well-approvedadjective
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approvedlyadverb
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approvinglyadverb
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unapprovinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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approvesimple
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approvessimple
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have approvedperfect
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has approvedperfect
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am approvingprogressive
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are approvingprogressive
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is approvingprogressive
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have been approvingperfect progressive
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has been approvingperfect progressive
Past
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approvedsimple
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had approvedperfect
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was approvingprogressive
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were approvingprogressive
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had been approvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of approve
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English a(p)proven, from Anglo-French, Old French aprover, from Latin approbāre, equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + probāre “to prove ”
Explanation
When you take your new love to meet your parents, you hope that they approve of your choice in partners, but when your date starts eating with his hands at dinner, chances are pretty slim. Approve was first used like to mean "prove" or "show"––think, "The proof is in the pudding." Now, approve means to officially agree. You might need the principal to sign off on, or approve, any purchase of new materials for the classroom. Congress can also approve a bill or budget in this way. It’s important to remember that, like apple and appropriate, approve is spelled with a double “p.”
Vocabulary lists containing approve
List 7
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 21–August 27, 2021
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 1–October 7, 2022
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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.
See Examples For:
Every year I decide again that the arrangement is worth it, that my belonging is mine to grant and not the NFL’s to approve.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
The redrawn districts can’t be used unless voters approve them in a ballot referendum, the state court said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The government's housing department declined to comment on its decision in August to approve the plans, while the Truman Brewery has not responded to an AFP request for its reaction.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
A tour guide told me that every living actor besides Ewan McGregor has stopped by to approve of their likeness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
There was a sense of justice in my father’s upright mind which rendered it necessary that he should approve highly to love strongly.
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
If Newsom approves the bills, they would take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The emergency application comes one week after an appeals court ordered construction to stop until Congress approves, upholding a ruling won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued the administration last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
If the rest of the committee thinks it needs to raise rates to restrain inflation, that’s precisely what it will do, whether Warsh approves or not.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Measure gravity by the statute’s subject matter rather than the defendant’s conduct and proportionality review approves everything.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
June 4: The US Congress approves the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which would guarantee suffrage to women, and sends it to all the states for ratification.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
Some cases are approved, but many are not.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The NFL played a big part in flag being approved for its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028 and has expanded the sport from 10 schools in Australia to more than 500.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Galleri is commercially available but has not been approved by the FDA, and its list price is $949.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
Employers that operate only one location will have until October 2027 to comply, according to an amendment approved by the council.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The present company, including Sun Girl and the Pack, approved of this suggestion, allowing the Major to take the lead.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
A Financial Times / Focaldata poll released on Sunday indicated that it had hit a new low, with only 33% of registered voters approving of his presidential performance.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
The bill cleared the Assembly floor by a vote of 68-2, with the Senate approving its companion measure by a vote of 32 in favor, 8 against the same day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
In 2025, Shein shifted its attention to Hong Kong, with Chinese authorities approving the move in July this year.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Workers rejected two proposed contracts before approving a six-year deal that included an immediate 10% raise and an $8,500 bonus for each worker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Hestia Jones gave her an approving look that changed to outrage as Aunt Petunia ran forward and embraced Dudley rather than Harry.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
