endorse

American

[en-dawrs] / ɛnˈdɔrs /

verb (used with object)

endorsed, endorsing

to approve, support, or sustain.

to endorse a political candidate.

Synonyms:

second, back, sustain, uphold, ratify, sanction
to designate oneself as payee of (a check) by signing, usually on the reverse side of the instrument.
to sign one's name on (a commercial document or other instrument).
to make over (a stated amount) to another as payee by one's endorsement.
to write (something) on the back of a document, paper, etc..

to endorse instructions; to endorse one's signature.
to acknowledge (payment) by placing one's signature on a bill, draft, etc.

noun

Heraldry. a narrow pale, about one quarter the usual width and usually repeated several times.

endorse British

/ ɪnˈdɔːs /

verb

to give approval or sanction to
to sign (one's name) on the back of (a cheque, etc) to specify oneself as payee
commerce
1. to sign the back of (a negotiable document) to transfer ownership of the rights to a specified payee
2. to specify (a designated sum) as transferable to another as payee
to write (a qualifying comment, recommendation, etc) on the back of a document
to sign (a document), as when confirming receipt of payment
to record (a conviction) on (a driving licence)

"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

Other Word Forms

endorsable adjective
endorser noun
endorsingly adverb
endorsive adjective
endorsor noun
preendorse verb (used with object)
reendorse verb (used with object)
subendorse verb (used with object)
superendorse verb (used with object)
unendorsable adjective
unendorsed adjective
well-endorsed adjective

Etymology

Origin of endorse

First recorded in 1350–1400; variant (with en- for in- ) of earlier indorse, from Medieval Latin indorsāre “to endorse,” equivalent to Latin in- in- ² + -dorsāre, derivative of dorsum “back”; replacing endoss, Middle English endossen, from Old French endosser, equivalent to en- en- ¹ + -dosser, derivative of dos, from Latin dorsum

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 worst thing we can do right now for our movement is to say, ‘Well, actually, we’re not going to endorse Rae or Nithya.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as you can imagine, doesn’t endorse “Mormon Wives” for many reasons.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

"We're getting closer to something which ministers can endorse" in Yaounde, he told reporters at the WTO's headquarters in Geneva.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

Later, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and French President Jacques Chirac refused to endorse the 2003 invasion of Iraq, arguing that the U.S. hadn’t provided sufficient evidence that the regime was pursuing weapons of mass destruction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Kathy knew her kids would endorse the plan.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023