seal of approval

1. An endorsement of something or someone, as in Our candidate doesn't have the governor's seal of approval, or The new management gave the old refund policy their seal of approval. This idiom was used, and perhaps invented, as an advertising gimmick of Good Housekeeping Magazine, which gave its so-called “seal of approval” to products it endorsed; the products' packaging in turn bore a small emblem attesting to this endorsement. The noun seal here is used in the same sense as in set one's seal on.

Example Sentences

The answer that has academia’s seal of approval is to define momentum over the period from 12 months previously to one month previously, and to reform the portfolio on a monthly basis.

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Whatever the trajectory, it isn’t good news that the gold/platinum ratio — a market-timing indicator with a strong academic seal of approval — has suffered one of its sharpest and biggest drops ever.

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One question: Did the federal government’s seal of approval for Tricolor cause investors to ignore hazard lights?

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The Sundance seal of approval kicks open countless doors to get distribution for independent cinema, A-List celebrities or not.

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World Rugby's seal of approval comes with benefits; its absence will be a question mark for those pondering whether to take up an R360 offer, either as a player or host city.

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Related Words

• advocacy 
• affirmation 
• approval 
• backing 
• commercial 
• confirmation 
• favor 
• permission 
• ratification 
• recommendation 
• signature