approval

noun

ap·​prov·​al ə-ˈprü-vəl How to pronounce approval (audio)
Synonyms of approvalnext
: an act or instance of approving something : approbation
The change is subject to the committee's approval.
see also:

Examples of approval in a Sentence

children who never gained their parents' approval Do I have your approval to make the changes? The rally will be on May 19, provided the city gives its approval. The government has so far withheld approval of the drug. We were required to get approvals at each stage of the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The deal, which awaits regulatory approval, has Hollywood bracing for more layoffs. Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026 It had supposedly been made in the nineteen-forties, for an Italian countess or an English lady, then scrapped, and afterward either smuggled out of the workroom by a starry-eyed seamstress or, with the atelier head’s approval, given to one of the in-house models. Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026 After beta blockers’ approval in 1976, reductions in hypertension and cardiac disease were equal across income levels — the medication bridged the gap that behavioral interventions couldn’t. Alison Sexton Ward, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026 Restaurants must navigate separate applications, fees, and approval processes for sidewalk cafes and roadway cafes, even when both are part of the same establishment. Mike Flynn, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for approval

Word History

Etymology

see approve

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of approval was in 1613

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Approval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approval. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

approval

noun
ap·​prov·​al ə-ˈprü-vəl How to pronounce approval (audio)
: an act or instance of approving

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