approve

[ uh-proov ]

/ əˈpruv /

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See synonyms for: approve / approved / approving / approvedly on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ap·proved, ap·prov·ing.

to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good; judge favorably: to approve the policies of the administration.

to consent or agree to: Father approved our plan to visit Chicago.

to confirm or sanction formally; ratify: The Senate promptly approved the bill.

Obsolete.

to demonstrate; show.
to make good; attest.
to prove by trial.
to convict.

verb (used without object), ap·proved, ap·prov·ing.

to speak or consider favorably (sometimes followed by of:)Mother didn't approve of him.The boss wouldn't approve of the plan.He said that he approved.

OTHER WORDS FOR approve

1 appreciate, esteem.

2 allow, permit.

3 authorize, confirm, endorse, sanction, validate.

See synonyms for approve on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR approve

2, 3 deny, disallow, interdict; outlaw, prohibit, veto.

See antonyms for approve on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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”

synonym study for approve

1. 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 WORDS FROM approve

ap·prov·ed·ly, adverbap·prov·ed·ness, nounap·prov·ing·ly, adverbnon·ap·proved, adjective

pre·ap·prov, verb, pre·ap·proved, pre·ap·prov·ing.re·ap·prove, verb, re·ap·proved, re·ap·prov·ing.self-ap·proved, adjectiveself-ap·prov·ing, adjectiveun·ap·proved, adjectiveun·ap·prov·ing, adjectiveun·ap·prov·ing·ly, adverbwell-ap·proved, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH approve

approve , endorse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use approve in a sentence

If it is approved and all goes well, a vaccine could be available to a limited number of Americans within weeks.
Coronavirus live updates: Pfizer to seek emergency vaccine approval; U.S. infections reach grim new heights|Antonia Farzan, Ruby Mellen, Hamza Shaban, Marisa Iati, Derek Hawkins|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
If approved by the NFL, Jones, Feliciano and Eghbali would be the third set of minority partners Snyder has had during his 21 years as owner.
Washington Football Team minority owners have a deal to sell, but Daniel Snyder is blocking it|Will Hobson, Mark Maske, Liz Clarke|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
If it is approved, the first people to get the shot are likely to be doctors, nurses, and other front-line workers, and that could happen before Christmas, according to the drug giant.
Pfizer wants authorization to start distributing its vaccine by Christmas|Antonio Regalado|November 20, 2020|MIT Technology Review
A lot of the Fed programs announced this spring were possible only because they were approved by the Treasury, which promised to cover any costs in the event that they ended up losing money.
Steven Mnuchin acts to hobble the Fed's coronavirus powers|Felix Salmon|November 20, 2020|Axios

Other countries have also approved remdesivir as a treatment for Covid.
WHO advises against using Gilead’s remdesivir to treat hospitalized COVID patients|Claire Zillman, reporter|November 20, 2020|Fortune
Ronald Reagan approved the agreement and the USTR reviewed Korean practices through the end of his term.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A version was approved for airline use in 2007—but no airline has adopted it.
Red Tape and Black Boxes: Why We Keep ‘Losing’ Airliners in 2014|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Administration lawyers also approved the "enhanced interrogation techniques" and said they were legally permissible.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Dec. 14|PunditFact.com|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was nothing polite about them and nobody's parents approved.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The tub used in the birth was not approved for medical use and is difficult to disinfect.
Are Water Births Toxic to Babies?|Brandy Zadrozny|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The new creed, called the King's Book, approved by the houses of convocation, and made the standard of English orthodoxy.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Branches are to be operated under rules and regulations approved by the Federal Reserve Board.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
My directors heartily approved and other interviews followed.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Rosa laughingly approved of this decision, for she was like-minded with her mother, but her father did not respond.
The Garret and the Garden|R.M. Ballantyne
I have made a very complete model of the gun, and it is approved of by all who have seen it.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

British Dictionary definitions for approve (1 of 2)

approve¹

/ (əˈpruːv) /

verb

(when intr, often foll by of) to consider fair, good, or right; commend (a person or thing)

(tr) to authorize or sanction

(tr) obsolete to demonstrate or prove by trial

Derived forms of approve

approvingly, adverb

Word Origin for approve

C14: from Old French aprover, from Latin approbāre to approve, from probāre to test, prove

British Dictionary definitions for approve (2 of 2)

approve²

/ (əˈpruːv) /

verb

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

Word Origin for approve

C15: from Old French approuer to turn to advantage, from prou advantage

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

approve

OTHER WORDS FOR approve

OPPOSITES FOR approve

Origin of approve

synonym study for approve

OTHER WORDS FROM approve

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH approve

Words related to approve

How to use approve in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for approve (1 of 2)

Derived forms of approve

Word Origin for approve

British Dictionary definitions for approve (2 of 2)

Word Origin for approve