approve
Americanverb (used with object)
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approves,
present (3rd person singular)
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approved,
past participle, past
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approving
present participle
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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)
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approves,
present (3rd person singular)
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approved,
past participle, past
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approving
present participle
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:
But parliament is struggling to approve suggested laws, which include unpopular measures such as imposing duties on parcels from abroad, intended to boost revenues.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
Every year I decide again that the arrangement is worth it, that my belonging is mine to grant and not the NFL’s to approve.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
And why should anyone approve given the lackluster performance against international competition?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
A tour guide told me that every living actor besides Ewan McGregor has stopped by to approve of their likeness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
She felt boxed in by the town and by neighbors who didn’t approve of her.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
If Newsom approves the bills, they would take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
And the convention approves this unanimously without noted debate because it’s so freaking obvious, right?
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
The emergency application comes one week after an appeals court ordered construction to stop until Congress approves, upholding a ruling won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued the administration last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
WSI says that it approves 90% of initial claims and that its customer-satisfaction score from workers is 4.22 on a scale of 5.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
He does not hunt elephants anymore—he approves of the current worldwide ban on ivory—but he does hunt Cape buffalo, which is not an endangered species.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
That is notably higher than the roughly 21% average weight loss on the highest doses of approved injectables like Zepbound and Wegovy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
The measures were added to the Representation of the People Bill after they were approved by MPs this month.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Rodriguez, who is governing under Washington's watchful eye since the January ouster of Nicolas Maduro, has submitted power industry reforms to lawmakers, but they have not yet been approved.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
The Camarillo Planning Commission initially approved the development project in 2023, with the location slated to open in 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
In the first years of colonization, English became the only language approved for use in school, work, or public buildings.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
In 2025, Shein shifted its attention to Hong Kong, with Chinese authorities approving the move in July this year.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Workers rejected two proposed contracts before approving a six-year deal that included an immediate 10% raise and an $8,500 bonus for each worker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
But those objections weren’t enough, and “we all feared that the Planning Department was on the verge of possibly approving the process ministerially.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The vulnerable names are regulated utilities whose growth plans depend on regulators and voters approving higher household bills while the company builds for Big Tech.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
When I got to his office, Dr. Shawaibi handed me the signed letter approving me to make the Hajj in Mecca, and then a book.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
