approve

approve
\ \ [14] The Latin source of approve, approbāre, was a derivative of probāre, source of English prove. Probāre originally meant ‘test something to find if it is good’ (it was based on Latin probusgood’) and this became extended to ‘show something to be good or valid’. It was this sense that was taken up by approbāre and carried further to ‘assent to as good’. When English acquired the word, via Old French aprover, it still carried the notion of ‘demonstrating’, but this was gradually taken over exclusively by prove, and the senses ‘sanction’ and ‘commend’, present since the beginning, established their primacy.
\ \ Cf.PROBITY, PROVE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Approve — Ap*prove , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Approved}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Approving}.] [OE. aproven, appreven, to prove, OF. aprover, F. approuver, to approve, fr. L. approbare; ad + probare to esteem as good, approve, prove. See {Prove}, and cf. {Approbate}.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • approve — UK US /əˈpruːv/ verb ► [T] to accept, allow, or officially agree to something: » The measure was approved by the Senate Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs. »The aluminum producer could begin recalling workers on Tuesday if the union… …   Financial and business terms

  • approve — approve, endorse, sanction, accredit, certify mean to have or to express a favorable opinion of. Approve often means no more than this {daring them . . . to approve her conduct Conrad} Sometimes, however, it suggests esteem or admiration {Jane… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • approve of sb — approve of sb/sth ► to have a good opinion of someone or something: »Close to 90% of people approve of his handling of the crisis. Main Entry: ↑approve …   Financial and business terms

  • approve — ap·prove vt ap·proved, ap·prov·ing: to give formal or official sanction to: ratify Congress approved the proposed budget Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • approve — (v.) c.1300, to demonstrate, prove; mid 14c., to attest (something) with authority, from O.Fr. aprover (Mod.Fr. approuver) approve, agree to, from L. approbare to assent to as good, regard as good, from ad to (see AD (Cf. ad )) + probare to try,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • approve — [v1] agree something is good accept, acclaim, admire, applaud, appreciate, approbate, be big on*, commend, countenance, esteem, face it, favor, go along with, grin and bear it*, handle, like, live with*, praise, put up with, regard highly,… …   New thesaurus

  • approve — ► VERB 1) (often approve of) believe that someone or something is good or acceptable. 2) officially acknowledge as satisfactory. ORIGIN Old French aprover, from Latin approbare …   English terms dictionary

  • approve — [ə pro͞ov′] vt. approved, approving [ME aproven < OFr aprover < L approbare < ad , to + probare, to try, test < probus, good] 1. to give one s consent to; sanction; confirm 2. to be favorable toward; think or declare to be good,… …   English World dictionary

  • Approve — Ap*prove ([a^]p*pr[=oo]v ), v. t. [OF. aprouer; a (L. ad) + a form apparently derived fr. the pro, prod, in L. prodest it is useful or profitable, properly the preposition pro for. Cf. {Improve}.] (Eng. Law) To make profit of; to convert to one s …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • approve of — index countenance, permit Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

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