approbation
noun
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Approbation is similar in meaning to approval, and it is also very close to approval etymologically. Both words trace back to the Latin verb approbare, which means “to prove” or “to approve.” Approbation meant “proof” when it first appeared in English in the 1300s, and by the early 1500s it had come to refer to the act of formally or officially approving something, a sense it still retains in certain church-related contexts. Today, however, we mostly use approbation in the looser sense of “approval, admiration, or praise.” The related verb approbate means “to approve or sanction,” and the adjective approbatory means “expressing approval or commendation.”
Cite this Entry
“Approbation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approbation. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.
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