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Approve
Definitions
- 1 To officially sanction; to ratify; to confirm; to set as satisfactory. transitive
"Although we may disagree with it, we must nevertheless approve the sentence handed down by the court-martial."
- 2 To make profit of; to convert to one's own profit — said especially of waste or common land appropriated by the lord of the manor. English, transitive
- 3 judge to be right or commendable; think well of wordnet
- 4 To regard as good; to commend; to be pleased with; to think well of. transitive
"We approve the measure of the administration, for it is an excellent decision."
- 5 give sanction to wordnet
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- 6 To make proof of; to demonstrate; to prove or show practically. archaic, transitive
"He had long burned with impatience to approve his valour."
- 7 To consider worthy (to); to be pleased (with); to accept. intransitive
"Her mother never approves of any of her boyfriends. She thinks nobody is good enough for her little girl."
- 8 To show to be worthy; to demonstrate the merits of. archaic, transitive, usually
"The first care and concern must be to approve himself to God."
Etymology
From Middle English aproven, appreoven, appreven, apreven, borrowed from Old French aprover, approver, approuvir, appreuver (“to approve”), from Latin approbō, from ad + probō (“to esteem as good, approve, prove”). Doublet of approbate. By surface analysis, ad- + prove.
From Middle English approuen, approven, from Old French aprouer; a- + a form apparently derived from the pro, prod, in Latin prōsum (“be useful or profitable”). Compare with improve.
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