approve
Americanverb (used with object)
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to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good; judge favorably.
to approve the policies of the administration.
- Synonyms:
- esteem, appreciate
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to consent or agree to.
Father approved our plan to visit Chicago.
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to confirm or sanction formally; ratify.
The Senate promptly approved the bill.
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Obsolete.
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to demonstrate; show.
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to make good; attest.
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to prove by trial.
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to convict.
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verb (used without object)
verb
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to consider fair, good, or right; commend (a person or thing)
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(tr) to authorize or sanction
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obsolete (tr) to demonstrate or prove by trial
verb
Synonym Usage
Approve, commend, praise mean to have, and usually to express, a favorable opinion. To approve is to have a very good opinion, expressed or not, of someone or something: He approved the new plan. To commend is to speak or write approvingly, often formally and publicly, to congratulate or honor for something done: to commend a worker for a job well done. To praise is to speak or write, often in glowing and emotional terms, about one or more persons, actions, plans, etc.: to praise someone's courage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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approvednessnoun
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preapprovverb
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reapproveverb
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nonapprovedadjective
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self-approvedadjective
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self-approvingadjective
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unapprovedadjective
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unapprovingadjective
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well-approvedadjective
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approvedlyadverb
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approvinglyadverb
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unapprovinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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approvesimple
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approvessimple
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have approvedperfect
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has approvedperfect
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am approvingprogressive
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are approvingprogressive
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is approvingprogressive
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have been approvingperfect progressive
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has been approvingperfect progressive
Past
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approvedsimple
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had approvedperfect
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was approvingprogressive
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were approvingprogressive
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had been approvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of approve
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English a(p)proven, from Anglo-French, Old French aprover, from Latin approbāre, equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + probāre “to prove ”
Explanation
When you take your new love to meet your parents, you hope that they approve of your choice in partners, but when your date starts eating with his hands at dinner, chances are pretty slim. Approve was first used like to mean "prove" or "show"––think, "The proof is in the pudding." Now, approve means to officially agree. You might need the principal to sign off on, or approve, any purchase of new materials for the classroom. Congress can also approve a bill or budget in this way. It’s important to remember that, like apple and appropriate, approve is spelled with a double “p.”
Vocabulary lists containing approve
List 7
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 21–August 27, 2021
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 1–October 7, 2022
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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.
See Examples For:
A supervisory government body must retain authority to review enforcement decisions and to approve, modify or reject regulations created by private organizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
To approve any actions, the commission requires agreement from three of the four commissioners, but it could take months to fill the vacancies, USA Today reported.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Spurred by the state’s affordable housing shortage, state lawmakers are asking voters to approve an $11.25-billion bond to boost affordable housing construction around the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
In a video on X, Reed encouraged councils to approve applications from pubs.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
She sinks into one of the soft leather chairs provided for people who have to sit and approve of others who are trying on clothes.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
"And after EPA decides the appropriate warnings for a pesticide's label, a manufacturer is legally required to use that label unless and until EPA subsequently approves or requires a new label."
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
The seven-member board approves the appointment and reappointment of the regional presidents who help set interest rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
If S&P Dow Jones Indices approves the rules under consideration, they will go into effect a few days before SpaceX is expected to begin trading.
From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026
Applicants must be proposed and seconded by members, after which a managing committee approves them.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
She’s scanning my clothes to see if she approves.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
In early June, it approved support for farmers, including subsidies for greenhouse exports.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Most ships used the channel approved by Iran or clandestine routes, while traffic through the corridor near Oman backed by the U.S. dried up, Kpler said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Justice Department last month approved the merger, saying the combination would likely bolster competition — not harm it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
With Medicare Advantage, you must stick with an approved list of doctors and medical centers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
It's a term used when an accompanying child on an application turns twenty-one before the case has been approved.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
The proposal, which will likely be finalized later this year, outlines a set of factors for employers to consider before approving investments.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
That claim was dismissed as "self-serving" by Greenpeace, whose UK chief scientist Doug Parr said approving the field would be "reckless and indefensible" in the context of international commitments to slow down global warming.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
All signs point to Real Asset Acquisition shareholders approving the transaction next week.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
There are days where it’s a lighter scene for me and I can be on the side approving locations, taking meetings during lunch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
“It’s a very nice zoo,” Ruby says with an approving nod.
From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate
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.
