APPROVED Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

approved 1 of 2

adjective

as in official

Related Words

Relevance

approved

2 of 2

verb

past tense of approve

as in ratified

to give official acceptance of as satisfactory as soon as the pond project was approved, the bulldozers were at the site

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of approved

Adjective

Historically, immigration authorities exercised prosecutorial discretion to avoid arresting or deporting individuals with pending or approved SIJS applications. — Rebecca Gelpi-Ufret, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, the digital labor will need approved sources, permissions, monitoring, calibration and bounded authority. — Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 However, some pre-approved sellers can continue to sell related parts like control units, crash sensors, diagnostic modules, and passenger sensors. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 24 Sep. 2026 Buying a non-approved coin or taking the metal home can trigger a taxable distribution, plus additional taxes or penalties. — USA Today, 28 July 2026 The key to ending any infectious disease outbreak, especially one for which there's no approved vaccine, like the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is getting slightly ahead of the virus. — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 July 2026 Get pre-approved Equally important is getting prepared financially. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 21 July 2026 Kansas is one of 21 states that rely on governors selecting appointees from a pre-approved list of candidates screened by nominating commissions, a Star analysis found. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026 Ahead, find the five bright July nail colors that belong on your radar, with pro-approved polishes to shop. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 July 2026

Verb

In low doses, the kratom plant is promoted as giving users greater alertness and physical energy but it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for medical use. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Radiation safety authorities approved the initial STUK evaluation in August 2026, paving the way for the government to grant an operating license valid through 2070. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026 Experts are hopeful that these drugs can fill a significant unmet medical need, as the FDA has not approved a new medication for alcohol use disorder in two decades. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026 Hormone therapy—including the estrogen patch, pill, and vaginal cream—is FDA-approved for managing symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. — Ashley Abramson, Allure, 22 Oct. 2026 The project requires a zoning change and needs to be approved by the Chicago Planning Commission. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Any change would ultimately have to be approved by the voters, something Loy acknowledged could be difficult after Republicans’ recent losses at the ballot box. — Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 15 Oct. 2026 Meiner is pushing the city to work with other Florida mayors to advocate directly with the state legislature to possibly amend or repeal the Live Local Act, which was approved Wednesday night. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 The Boise City Council approved the final permit for the project just two weeks ago. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for approved

Adjective

In a stunning political comeback, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been elected president of Brazil, according to official results from Sunday's runoff election, with more than 96% of the votes counted.

— Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Utah and Arizona were the first states, in 2011, to adopt official state firearms.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of official

Verb

The agreements need to be ratified by union members and approved by the CSU Board of Trustees.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
The three countries that have ratified the convention as of October 2026 — Vietnam, Qatar and Azerbaijan — did not stipulate any reservations.

— Mary Lind, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ratified

Adjective

The two franchises teamed up to create a non-sanctioned Texas high school girls flag league that involved more than 240 schools and nearly 5,500 athletes.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Another sanctioned defendant, Aslhy Javier Galeano Basurto, has also been charged in Nebraska with conspiring to provide material support to Tren de Aragua and other offenses.

— Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of sanctioned

Verb

The judge handling last month endorsed a proposal by the suit's plaintiff to notify potential class members to submit claims on the settlement by conducting a four-week-long social media campaign on Facebook and Instagram.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
These new lines of thought, which have gained prominence among influential defense intellectuals and policy experts close to the Kremlin over the past year do not need to be endorsed in formal security doctrine to matter.

— Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of endorsed

Verb

Internationally, a United Nations resolution on geographical names says that when countries sharing a feature can’t agree on a common name, each country’s name is accepted.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
After Israel accepted its meager portion, Arabs attacked and retained a significant part of the land that was to be divided between Jews and Arabs.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of accepted

Verb

The Egyptian support is defensive in nature and won't include any ground troops in Yemen, the official said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to reporters.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
The Egyptian support is defensive in nature and won’t include any ground troops in Yemen, the official said on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to reporters.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of authorized

Browse Nearby Words

approve

approved

approved (of)

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Style

“Approved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approved. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of approved

adjective

verb

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