approve

verb

ap·​prove ə-ˈprüv How to pronounce approve (audio)
approved; approving

transitive verb

1
: to have or express a favorable opinion of
couldn't approve such conduct
2
a
: to accept as satisfactory
hopes she will approve the date of the meeting
b
: to give formal or official sanction (see sanction entry 1 sense 4c) to : ratify
Congress approved the proposed budget.
3
obsolete : prove, attest

intransitive verb

: to take a favorable view
doesn't approve of fighting
Choose the Right Synonym for approve

approve, endorse, sanction, accredit, certify mean to have or express a favorable opinion of.

approve often implies no more than this but may suggest considerable esteem or admiration.

the parents approve of the marriage

endorse suggests an explicit statement of support.

publicly endorsed her for Senator

sanction implies both approval and authorization.

the President sanctioned covert operations

accredit and certify usually imply official endorsement attesting to conformity to set standards.

the board voted to accredit the college
must be certified to teach

Examples of approve in a Sentence

I don't care if all the other parents are letting their kids do it; I still don't approve. The state has approved the building plans, so work on the new school can begin immediately. Your supervisor must approve the report before it can be sent.
Recent Examples on the Web California lawmakers are speedily moving forward toward approving a bill that would extend a key college financial aid deadline by a month to help students whose applications have been mired in problems at the federal level. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Interest in these companies buoyed in 2022, when the U.S. Food Administration approved a treatment from Novartis that was shown to extend the survival of prostate cancer patients. 💊 Since then, Eli Lilly announced in October its plans to acquire POINT Biopharma in for $1.4 billion. Bruce Gil, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Government shutdown: What to know The latest: The Senate prevented a partial government shutdown Friday after approving legislation to fund roughly 30 percent of the federal government. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024 But legislative text is not expected before Wednesday, teeing up a tight timeline to approve the legislation and stave off a partial government shutdown by a Friday night deadline. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024 The final unofficial results for Tempe’s March 2024 election show that the incumbents and Tempe’s lone pro-development newcomer swept the ticket, while voters also approved a new city growth plan by a landslide. Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024 If voters approve the bond issue, a study will be done to determine its location. Sue Kiesewetter, The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2024 Despite this, the decision was curbed after studio leadership stayed at the table and narrowly approved a deal that secured wage increases and additional funding for health benefits. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Previous efforts to repeal the ban have failed, but last November lawmakers in the Michigan House voted along party lines to approve a nine-bill package that would repeal the existing ban and establish the Fertility Health Care Act. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'approve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French apruer, approver, from Latin approbare, from ad- + probare to prove — more at prove

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of approve was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near approve

Cite this Entry

“Approve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approve. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

approve

verb
ap·​prove ə-ˈprüv How to pronounce approve (audio)
approved; approving
1
: to think well of
2
: to accept as satisfactory
approvingly adverb

Legal Definition

approve

transitive verb
ap·​prove
approved; approving
: to give formal or official sanction to : ratify
Congress approved the proposed budget

More from Merriam-Webster on approve

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