approbation

play

noun ap·pro·ba·tion \ ˌa-prə-ˈbā-shən \

Definition of approbation

1 a :commendation, praise

a plan that has won the approbation of the mayor

b :an act of approving formally or officially

2 obsolete :proof

—

approbatory

play \ˈa-prə-bə-ˌtȯr-ē, ə-ˈprō-bə-\ adjective

See approbation defined for English-language learners

See approbation defined for kids

approbation was our Word of the Day on 04/28/2008. Hear the podcast!

Examples of approbation in a Sentence

The company has even received the approbation of its former critics.
that plan has the approbation of the school board

Recent Examples of approbation from the Web

The most coveted approbation, though, was being summoned over to the couch, an honor bestowed on only a handful of first-time performers.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'I'm Dying' crowns Johnny Carson as comedy king-maker," 2 June 2017
Still, the approbation for the bill was not universal.

— jesse mckinley, New York Times, "‘Raise the Age,’ Now Law in New York, Is Still a Subject of Debate," 10 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'approbation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

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 14th century, and by the early 1500s it had come to mean "formal or official approval," a sense it still retains in certain ecclesiastical 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."