approve

[uh-proov] /əˈpruv/
verb (used with object), approved, approving.
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.
  1. to demonstrate; show.
  2. to make good; attest.
  3. to prove by trial.
  4. to convict.
verb (used without object), approved, approving.
5.
to speak or consider favorably (sometimes followed by of):
Mother didn't approve of him. The boss wouldn't approve of the plan. He said that he approved.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English a(p)proven < Anglo-French, Old French aprover < Latin approbāre, equivalent to ap- ap-1 + probāre to prove
Related forms
approvedly, adverb
approvedness, noun
approvingly, adverb
nonapproved, adjective
preapprove, verb, preapproved, preapproving.
reapprove, verb, reapproved, reapproving.
self-approved, adjective
self-approving, adjective
unapproved, adjective
unapproving, adjective
unapprovingly, adverb
well-approved, adjective
Can be confused
approve, endorse (see synonym study at the current entry)
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.
Examples from the web for approve
  • The payer, meanwhile, uses his own private key to approve any transfers to a recipient's account.
  • Editors, trained in the ways of search engine optimization, would approve or deny each while also coming up with their own ideas.
  • Italians did not approve of the way the government was run, but it was part of their life.
  • The naturalist would approve of how evolutionary science continues to improve.
  • Military contracts usually take months, even years, to approve.
  • The stock exchange and its regulator have not yet dared approve it.
  • They simply will not hear suggestions from professionals in the matter, even when they actually approve the use of natural gas.
  • The ministry did not approve the proposed investment.
  • Even if they approve it, it will be through clenched teeth.
  • He even gets to approve who plays in the national side, overruling professional selectors.
British Dictionary definitions for approve

approve1

/əˈpruːv/
verb
1.
when intr, often foll by of. to consider fair, good, or right; commend (a person or thing)
2.
(transitive) to authorize or sanction
3.
(transitive) (obsolete) to demonstrate or prove by trial
Derived Forms
approvingly, adverb
Word Origin
C14: from Old French aprover, from Latin approbāre to approve, from probāre to test, prove

approve2

/əˈpruːv/
verb
1.
(transitive) (law) to improve or increase the value of (waste or common land), as by enclosure
Word Origin
C15: from Old French approuer to turn to advantage, from prou advantage
Word Origin and History for approve
v.

c.1300, "to demonstrate, prove;" mid-14c., "to attest (something) with authority," from Old French aprover (Modern French approuver) "approve, agree to," from Latin approbare "to assent to as good, regard as good," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + probare "to try, test something (to find if it is good)," from probus "honest, genuine" (see prove).

The meaning extended late 14c. to "to sanction, endorse, confirm formally" then to "assent to (something) as good" (early 15c.), especially in reference to the actions of authorities, parliaments, etc. Related: Approved; approving.