approve
verb/əˈpruːv/
/əˈpruːv/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they approve | /əˈpruːv/ /əˈpruːv/ |
| he / she / it approves | /əˈpruːvz/ /əˈpruːvz/ |
| past simple approved | /əˈpruːvd/ /əˈpruːvd/ |
| past participle approved | /əˈpruːvd/ /əˈpruːvd/ |
| -ing form approving | /əˈpruːvɪŋ/ /əˈpruːvɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] to think that somebody/something is good, acceptable or suitable
- I told my mother I wanted to leave school but she didn't approve.
- approve of somebody/something Do you approve of my idea?
- She didn't quite approve of the way he was running things.
- approve of somebody doing something She doesn't approve of me leaving school this year.
- (formal) approve of somebody’s doing something She doesn't approve of my leaving school this year.
Extra ExamplesTopics Opinion and argumentb2- I don't personally approve but I'm willing to live with it.
- He didn't say anything, but I could tell from the look on his face that he didn't approve.
- I very much approve of these new tests.
- I wholeheartedly approve of his actions.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- fully
- heartily
- strongly
- …
- of
- [transitive] approve something to officially agree to a plan, request, etc.
- The committee unanimously approved the plan.
- We hope that the proposals will soon be approved by the committee.
- to approve a bill/application
Synonyms agreeagreeaccept ▪ approve ▪ go along with somebody/something ▪ consentThese words all mean to say that you will do what somebody wants or that you will allow something to happen.agree to say that you will do what somebody wants or that you will allow something to happen:- He agreed to let me go early.
- They accepted the court’s decision.
- The committee unanimously approved the plan.
- She just goes along with everything he suggests.
- She finally consented to answer our questions.
- to agree/consent to something
- to agree/consent to do something
- to agree to/accept/approve/go along with/consent to a plan/proposal
- to agree to/accept/approve a request
- They approved the creation of a human resources development centre.
- His appointment has not been formally approved yet.
- The Legislature narrowly approved an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution.
- The committee has approved the compensation package.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- formally
- officially
- federally
- …
- [transitive, often passive] to say that something is good enough to be used or is correct
- be approved by somebody/something The course is approved by the Department for Education.
- be approved for something This medicine is not approved for use in children.
- be approved as something The chemical has never been federally approved as a pesticide.
- approve something The auditors approved the company's accounts.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French aprover, from Latin approbare (from ad- ‘to’ + probare ‘try, test’). The original sense was ‘prove, demonstrate’, later ‘corroborate, confirm’, hence ‘pronounce to be satisfactory’ (late Middle English).
Check pronunciation:
approve