approval
noun
ap·prov·al
ə-ˈprü-vəl 
: an act or instance of approving something : approbation
The change is subject to the committee's approval.
see also:
Synonyms of 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
The optional add-on service will not guarantee visa approvals, and the State Department will name which missions offer it before launch, with any extension hinging on traveler demand.
—
Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Yes votes for Measure ER, which only needs 50% of the vote plus one for approval, have slowly gained day after day as more ballots — and in particular, ballots from Election Day or later — were counted.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 9 June 2026
Children who want to access certain websites must now ask their parents for approval across Apple’s various products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers with the Safari browser.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 8 June 2026
Denver Public Schools is set to become the latest K-12 system in Colorado to ban students’ use of cellphones during school hours, with the Board of Education likely to give final approval to a districtwide prohibition Monday evening.
—Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for approval
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.
Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Yes votes for Measure ER, which only needs 50% of the vote plus one for approval, have slowly gained day after day as more ballots — and in particular, ballots from Election Day or later — were counted.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 9 June 2026
Children who want to access certain websites must now ask their parents for approval across Apple’s various products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers with the Safari browser.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 8 June 2026
Denver Public Schools is set to become the latest K-12 system in Colorado to ban students’ use of cellphones during school hours, with the Board of Education likely to give final approval to a districtwide prohibition Monday evening.
—Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for approval
Cite this Entry
“Approval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approval. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
approval
noun
ap·prov·al
ə-ˈprü-vəl
: an act or instance of approving
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
