Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To consent to officially or formally; confirm or sanction.
  • intransitive verb To consider right or good.
  • intransitive verb Obsolete To prove or attest.
  • intransitive verb To show, feel, or express approval.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make good; show to be real or true; prove; confirm; attest; corroborate.
  • To show; prove to be; demonstrate.
  • To sanction officially; ratify authoritatively: as, the decision of the court martial was approved.
  • To pronounce good; think or judge well of; admit the propriety or excellence of; be pleased with; commend: as, on trial the goods were approved; to approve the policy of the administration.
  • To manifest as worthy of approval; commend: used reflexively.
  • To put to the test; prove by trial; try.
  • Hence—. To convict upon trial or by proof.
  • . To show itself to be; prove or turn out.
  • To think or judge well or favorably; be pleased: usually with of.
  • In law, to turn to one's own profit; augment the value or profits of, as of waste land, by inclosing and cultivating; improve.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb (Eng. Law) To make profit of; to convert to one's own profit; -- said esp. of waste or common land appropriated by the lord of the manor.
  • transitive verb obsolete To show to be real or true; to prove.
  • transitive verb To make proof of; to demonstrate; to prove or show practically.
  • transitive verb To sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm.
  • transitive verb To regard as good; to commend; to be pleased with; to think well of.
  • transitive verb To make or show to be worthy of approbation or acceptance.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm.
  • verb transitive To regard as good; to commend; to be pleased with; to think well of.
  • verb transitive To make proof of; to demonstrate; to prove or show practically.
  • verb intransitive To consider or show to be worthy of approbation or acceptance.
  • verb transitive To make profit of; to convert to one's own profit;—said especially of waste or common land appropriated by the lord of the manor.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb give sanction to
  • verb judge to be right or commendable; think well of

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English appreven, approven, from Old French aprover, from Latin approbāre : ad-, ad- + probāre, to test (from probus, good; see per in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English aproven, appreven ("to prove"), Old French aprover ("to approve"), (French approuver), from Latin approbō, from ad + probō ("to esteem as good, approve, prove"). Compare prove, approbate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old French aprouer; a- + a form apparently derived from the pro, prod, in Latin prōsum ("be useful or profitable"). Compare with improve.

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Examples

  • Tate care, however, cried I, that you. do* not carry matters too far: fhe muft not fufpect you act by my orders; oa £he contrary, if I find any feverity ha* been, ufcd, though I may fecretly approve, nay, certainly fhall approve* in cafe it anfwers fhy purpofe; yet you myft lay your account with being* fharply reprimand - ed — you underftand me.

    Lucinda Osburn: A Novel ... 1787

  • approve the photo of members as untill you approve members photo it will not see online o10.

    DaniWeb IT Discussion Community 2009

  • approve the photo of members as untill you approve members photo it will not see online o10.

    Digital Point Forums 2009

  • The Department of Agriculture unveiled controversial plans to again approve genetically modified sugar beets in time for planting next year, a move that would nullify a federal court ruling in August that invalidated the original approval issued by the USDA five years ago.

    World Watch 2010

  • The reason this poll shows only 42% approve, is that many wanted MORE from this bill (public option, etc.)

    CNN Poll: 6 point jump in support for health care bill 2009

  • If such authority to approve is actually necessary, this authority properly rests with the present National Book Development Board (NBDB) and its Directorate.

    On the Great Book Blockade of 2009 (Updated 7 May) (with BDAP Paper) « BAHAY TALINHAGA 2009

  • WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled Tuesday controversial plans to again approve genetically modified sugar beets in time for planting next year, a move that would nullify a federal court ruling in August that invalidated the original approval issued by the USDA five years ago.

    USDA Seeking Approval of Genetically Modified Sugar Beets Bill Tomson 2010

  • So what is Newt & Palin approve of President Obama's speech?

    Gingrich praises Obama's speech 2009

  • Those with a brain approve and support it, and those without well they really aren't sure what they think.

    CNN Poll: Americans divided on President's health care plans 2009

  • A variation I tried, and probably one that your doctor would not approve, is to slightly heat two stroopwafels and put a very high quality vanilla ice cream between them.

    tingilinde: 2008

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