approve
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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:
If regulators approve those increases, it would be the second year in a row that premiums rose by double digits.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
"Let me tell you - I'm quite happy that Kemi doesn't approve of my wardrobe choices – because I'm not keen on theirs either," Burnham said.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Spencer Stuart has given her a slate of candidates to review, she has the ability to approve the candidates that progress and sit in on the interviews, people familiar with the process said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
To approve any actions, the commission requires agreement from three of the four commissioners, but it could take months to fill the vacancies, USA Today reported.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
She felt boxed in by the town and by neighbors who didn’t approve of her.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Your children do not own the assets directly, and it’s basically treated as income/pocket money for them to spend in ways that the trustee approves.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Applicants must be proposed and seconded by members, after which a managing committee approves them.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
ServiceNow serves as the system that governs, routes, approves, and audits activity across organizations, making displacement costly and complex, the analyst team added.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
If the council approves Nazarian’s motion, it would next head to the city attorney’s office to prepare a resolution and ordinance to get it on the ballot.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
“Come on—she obviously approves of you for Jeremy,” Tats says.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Rhapsido, a treatment for chronic rashes that was approved in the US last September and then in the European Union at the end of April, has already generated $64 million in sales, Novartis said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
The projects "HyKaPro SAB-EFRE" and "Plasma4PFAS SAB-EFRE" are co-financed by the European Union and tax revenue as approved by the Saxon Parliament in its state budget.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
On Sunday, the city said in its statement that it had approved a leave of absence for Forbes during that Thursday meeting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
EagleBank also approved the client for a federally guaranteed loan even after a top lending officer ruled it was unsound.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
He was a walking blind taste test: You had to decide if you approved of him before you laid eyes on him.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
The proposal, which will likely be finalized later this year, outlines a set of factors for employers to consider before approving investments.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
When one of China's biggest stand-up comedians opened his show with a joke about the extraordinarily long rule of the country's leader Xi Jinping, it drew a cheer, alongside a smattering of approving profanities.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Prosecutors allege Finkelstein continued approving tests in the same manner after learning of the death while his companies continued billing insurers for the screenings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
All signs point to Real Asset Acquisition shareholders approving the transaction next week.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
“True,” said Mr. Curtain with an approving crook of one eyebrow.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
