imprimatur

noun

im·​pri·​ma·​tur ˌim-prə-ˈmä-ˌtu̇r  im-ˈpri-mə-ˌtu̇r 

-ˌtyu̇r

1

a

: sanction, approval

b

: imprint

c

: a mark of approval or distinction

… putting the sports establishment's imprimatur on an event that was once the exclusive province of renegades.

—Curry Kirkpatrick

2

a

: a license to print or publish especially by Roman Catholic episcopal authority

b

: approval of a publication under circumstances of official censorship

Did you know?

Imprimatur means “let it be printed” in New Latin (the Latin used since the end of the medieval period especially in science). It comes from Latin imprimere, meaning “to imprint or impress.” In the 1600s, the word appeared in the front matter of books, accompanied by the name of an official authorizing the book’s printing. In time, English speakers began using imprimatur in the general sense of “official approval.”

Synonyms of imprimatur

• approval
• blessing

Examples of imprimatur in a Sentence

He gave the book his imprimatur.

could not begin the project without the boss's imprimatur

Recent Examples on the Web

With investors very much calling their present and future into question, banks and investment banks sought Buffett’s highly valuable imprimatur. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Since then, Delcy Rodriguez has functioned as an unelected president with the imprimatur of Washington. — Rafael Osío Cabrices, Time, 20 July 2026

On July 29, 1938, Irvin Shapiro duly applied for the imprimatur from Hollywood’s censorship regime. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026

Those headaches were worth it when scaled media businesses threw off gushers of cash and provided a cultural imprimatur that few other assets could. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 29 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, let it be printed, from imprimere to print, from Latin, to imprint, impress — more at impress entry 1

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for imprimatur

• underwater
• auteur
• blotter
• cotter
• daughter
• hotter
• mater
• otter
• plotter
• rotter
• slaughter
• spotter

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Kids Definition

imprimatur

noun

im·​pri·​ma·​tur ˌim-prə-ˈmä-tu̇(ə)r 

: official approval (as to print or publish)