Word of the Day

: April 28, 2008

approbation

noun ap-ruh-BAY-shun

What It Means

1 : an act of approving formally or officially

2 : commendation, praise

approbation in Context

Some movie producers care more about making a profit than winning the approbation of critics.

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."