approve

American  

[uh-proov] / əˈpruv /

verb (used with object)

approved, approving

1. to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good; judge favorably.

   to approve the policies of the administration.

   Synonyms:

   esteem, appreciate

2. to consent or agree to.

   Father approved our plan to visit Chicago.

   Synonyms:

   permit, allow

   Antonyms:

   deny, veto, prohibit, outlaw, interdict, disallow

3. to confirm or sanction formally; ratify.

   The Senate promptly approved the bill.

   Synonyms:

   validate, sanction, endorse, confirm, authorize

   Antonyms:

   veto, prohibit, outlaw, interdict, disallow, deny

4. Obsolete.

   1. to demonstrate; show.

   2. to make good; attest.

   3. to prove by trial.

   4. to convict.

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verb (used without object)

approved, approving

1. to speak or consider favorably (sometimes followed byof: )

   Mother didn't approve of him.

   The boss wouldn't approve of the plan.

   He said that he approved.

approve ¹ British  

/ əˈpruːv /

verb

1. to consider fair, good, or right; commend (a person or thing)

2. (tr) to authorize or sanction

3. obsolete (tr) to demonstrate or prove by trial

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approve ² British  

/ əˈpruːv /

verb

1. (tr) law to improve or increase the value of (waste or common land), as by enclosure

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Related Words

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

• approvedly adverb
• approvedness noun
• approvingly adverb
• nonapproved adjective
• preapprov verb
• reapprove verb
• self-approved adjective
• self-approving adjective
• unapproved adjective
• unapproving adjective
• unapprovingly adverb
• well-approved adjective

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.”

Example Sentences

Lawmakers in more than 10 states have proposed temporary bans on data-center construction, with Maine poised to become the first state External link to approve such legislation in the coming weeks.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Senior FDA officials said they examined scientific studies to see whether they could approve leucovorin to treat autism, but didn’t come up with enough strong scientific evidence to do so.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve initial funding of the new building, which at that time was planned for 2023 with an estimated cost of $600 million.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The Journal noted that postal regulators still needed to approve the deal.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

I want to pick them up, rearrange them into something he’ll approve of.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• accept
• advocate
• agree
• authorize
• back
• certify
• confirm
• endorse
• establish
• license
• okay
• permit
• push for
• ratify
• recommend
• sanction
• sign
• support
• uphold