disapproval
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disapproval
Explanation
Disapproval is what you express when you share your dislike or opposition. If you fail a class, you might worry both about your grade point average and also your parents' disapproval. When you sense disapproval in your teacher's voice after you show her a draft of your research paper, you might want to start over. You might feel disapproval yourself when you see your friend spend money instead of saving it, or watch your dad feel the dog from his plate at the dinner table. Disapproval uses the "opposite of" prefix dis- with approval, from its Latin root approbare, "to regard as good."
Vocabulary lists containing disapproval
Power Prefix: dis-
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dis-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: dis-
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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.
The bill’s structure has earned the disapproval of the state bar association and drawn constitutional challenges.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
In this new attempt, his lawyers said the previous Court of Appeal decision wrongly applied the law due to "moral disapproval".
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
A Washington Post-Schar School poll conducted unusually early showed a nearly even split in the governor’s approval and disapproval ratings.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026
We must stop equating disapproval of the state of Israel with antisemitism.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Petunia advanced, evidently torn between curiosity and disapproval.
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.
