imprimatur
Americannoun
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an official license to print or publish a book, pamphlet, etc., especially a license issued by a censor of the Roman Catholic Church.
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sanction or approval; support.
Our plan has the company president's imprimatur.
noun
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RC Church a licence granted by a bishop certifying the Church's approval of a book to be published
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sanction, authority, or approval, esp for something to be printed
Etymology
Origin of imprimatur
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
Explanation
If you give something your imprimatur, you give it your formal support or approval. An imprimatur is a fancy version of a thumbs-up sign. Originally, an imprimatur was a license that permitted a book to be printed. This word still has the meaning of official or public approval. When the president signs a bill, he gives it his imprimatur. You might give your imprimatur to your favorite rock band by wearing a T-shirt with the band’s logo on it.
Vocabulary lists containing imprimatur
This Week in Words: March 17- 23, 2018
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Becoming
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Ten Words from The New York Times - Apr. 10, 2013
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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.
Even with the power of the White House and the imprimatur of a U.N.
From Slate • Jan. 28, 2026
The Treasury imprimatur and financing by sophisticated institutions may have given investors a false sense of security and caused them to relax underwriting standards.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025
Clinton, who turned 78 on Monday, gave his imprimatur to a candidate who was a young deputy district attorney in Alameda County when he won the White House in 1992.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2024
The prayer breakfast that Zhovnir and Unguryan organized in Washington for this year’s Ukrainian Week apparently had the imprimatur of Zelenskyy’s government.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2024
Well-known quotations embody both of these things: they come with the imprimatur both of ancient derivation, and of the many people who, by passing it on, in some way are understood to have endorsed it.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
