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.â€
Examples of approbation in a Sentence
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
His attorneys portrayed his accusers as Hollywood wannabes and hangers-on who willingly hooked up with him to court opportunity, then recast the encounters as crimes years later to collect settlement funds and #MeToo approbation.
—Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025
Not for attention, approbation, another hit of dopamine.
—Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025
On the floor, Biles’ every routine Tuesday received a studied silence, and every landing received raucous approbation.
—Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 30 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for approbation
Cite this Entry
“Approbation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approbation. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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approbation
noun
