approval

noun

ap·​prov·​al ə-ˈprü-vəl How to pronounce approval (audio)
: an act or instance of approving something : approbation
The change is subject to the committee's approval.
Phrases
on approval
: subject to a prospective buyer's acceptance or refusal
stamps sent to collectors on approval

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.
One of the recommendations calls for evaluating who at the agency should control approvals of no-bid contracts — an authority that currently rests with Orso. Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2025 The University of Arkansas System board of trustees approved a new Associate of Science in Agriculture at the University of Arkansas Community College at Rich Mountain, effective this fall, pending approval of the Arkansas Division of Higher Education. Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025 The new strategy would continue the current vaccine approval process for people ages 65 and older and younger people with health problems that put them at high risk for serious complications from the virus. Rob Stein, NPR, 22 May 2025 Because there’s no need for a credit score, no official approval process and no institutional guardrails, even those still navigating early financial independence are being nudged into debt with a single tap. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 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 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

approval

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

More from Merriam-Webster on approval

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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