seal of approval

Idioms  

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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seal of approval

Somewhere in your house probably lurks a book, an accessory or an appliance you may not have bought if Winfrey hadn’t given it her seal of approval.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

While hosts typically don’t do the actual pitching, their presence provides a seal of approval that helps drive a purchase.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

He has even received a royal seal of approval.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Taken together, these nearly 100 strategies — each of which had received the equivalent of an academic seal of approval — performed 58% worse after they were published than they did in-sample.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026

But I also benefited from the special prestige of having the seal of approval from that Very Important Woman about the town of Mason, Mrs. Swerlin.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

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Related Words

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

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