imprimatur

[im-pri-mah-ter, im-prim-uh-ter, im-pri-mey-ter]

noun

1. an official license to print or publish a book, pamphlet, etc., especially a license issued by a censor of the Roman Catholic Church.

2. sanction or approval; support.

   Our plan has the company president's imprimatur.

imprimatur

/ -ˈmɑː-, ˌɪmprɪˈmeɪtə /

noun

1. RC Church a licence granted by a bishop certifying the Church's approval of a book to be published

2. sanction, authority, or approval, esp for something to be printed

Word History and Origins

Origin of imprimatur¹

First recorded in 1630–40; from New Latin: literally, “let it be printed,” Latin: literally, “let it be made by pressing upon (something)”; impress ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of imprimatur¹

C17: New Latin, literally: let it be printed

Example Sentences

Along with the kleptocratic Palestinian Authority dictatorship in Ramallah, this is who, and what, Group of 7 powers like Britain and France have decided to reward with an imprimatur of legitimate statehood.

From Los Angeles Times

Paul said he couldn't believe his fellow conservatives were falling in line behind the bill, just because it carries the gilded imprimatur.

From Salon

Ordinary experiences, imperfections, sadness, and anxieties are increasingly given the imprimatur of medical disorders, she concludes: “In other words: we are not getting sicker — we are attributing more to sickness.”

From Salon

The same Supreme Court effectively insulated extralegal conduct as long as it has the imprimatur of being “official.”

From Salon

He said that Fine would no doubt win the election thanks to the imprimatur of the Republican Party.

From Salon