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approved

 - 4 dictionary results

ap⋅prove

  [uh-proov] verb, -proved, -prov⋅ing.
Use approved in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good; judge favorably: to approve the policies of the administration.
2. to consent or agree to: Father approved our plan to visit Chicago.
3. to confirm or sanction formally; ratify: The Senate promptly approved the bill.
4. Obsolete.
a. to demonstrate; show.
b. to make good; attest.
c. to prove by trial.
d. to convict.
–verb (used without object)
5. to speak or consider favorably (sometimes fol. by of): Mother didn't approve of him. The boss wouldn't approve of the plan. He said that he approved.
Origin:
1300–50; ME a(p)proven < AF, OF aprover < L approbāre, equiv. to ap- ap- 1 + probāre to prove

Related forms:
ap⋅prov⋅ed⋅ly, adverb
ap⋅prov⋅ed⋅ness, noun
ap⋅prov⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. appreciate, esteem. 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 approv-ingly, 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. 2, 3. authorize, endorse, validate.

Antonyms:
2, 3. reject.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To approved
ap·prove   (ə-prōōv')   
v.   ap·proved, ap·prov·ing, ap·proves

v.   tr.

  1. To consider right or good; think or speak favorably of.

  2. To consent to officially or formally; confirm or sanction: The Senate approved the treaty.

  3. Obsolete To prove or attest.

v.   intr.
To show, feel, or express approval: didn't approve of the decision.

[Middle English approven, from Old French aprover, from Latin approbāre : ad-, ad- + probāre, to test (from probus, good; see per1 in Indo-European roots).]
ap·prov'a·ble adj., ap·prov'ing·ly adv.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to express a favorable opinion or to signify satisfaction or acceptance. Approve means to consider right or good, but it can also denote official consent: "The colonel or commanding officer approves the sentence of a regimental court-martial" (Charles James).
Endorse implies the public expression of support: The senator endorsed the candidate by issuing a press release.
Sanction usually implies official authorization: The privilege of voting is a right sanctioned by law.
Certify and accredit imply official approval based on compliance with requirements or standards: "The proper officers, comparing every article with its voucher, certified them to be right" (Benjamin Franklin). The board of education will accredit only institutions that have a sufficiently rigorous curriculum.
To ratify is to invest officially with legal authority: "Amendments . . . shall be valid . . . when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States" (U.S. Constitution, Article V).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

approve 
1340, "to attest (something) with authority," from O.Fr. aprover, from L. approbare "to assent to as good, regard as good," from ad- "to" + probare "to try, test something (to find if it is good)," from probus "honest, genuine" (see prove). The meaning extended c.1380 to "show (something) to be good," then to "assent to (something) as good" (1413), especially in ref. to authorities, parliaments, etc.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: ap·prove
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: ap·proved; ap·prov·ing
: to give formal or official sanction to : RATIFY approved the proposed budget>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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