What does approve mean?
Approve is a versatile English verb with two closely related meanings. In its formal sense, it means to grant official approval or authorization — a government body approves legislation, a manager approves an expense report, or a planning committee approves a building permit. In its more personal sense, usually expressed as "approve of," it means to hold a favorable opinion of someone or something: a parent may approve of a child's choice of career, or a teacher may approve of a student's hard work. The word derives from the Latin probare, meaning to test or judge as good, which also gives us words like prove, probe, and probable — so to approve something is, at root, to find that it stands up to scrutiny. Approve carries a generally positive connotation, signaling acceptance, endorsement, or satisfaction, and its antonyms include reject and disapprove. Because it spans both bureaucratic formality and everyday opinion, it is one of the most frequently used verbs in discussions of decisions, permissions, and judgments.
verbTo approve is to officially or formally agree to, accept, or sanction something such as a plan, request, or decision. It can also mean to consider someone or something good, satisfactory, or worthy of support.
- To give official permission, consent, or formal sanction to something (e.g. a plan, budget, application).
- To regard favorably; to believe that someone or something is good, right, or acceptable (usually expressed as 'approve of').
"The board approved the new budget after a lengthy discussion."
"The committee approved the proposal unanimously."
"Her parents did not approve of her decision to move abroad."
When you approve something, you're literally saying it 'proves good' — the word carries the same Latin root as 'proof' itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of approve
Approve comes from the Old French approuver, which in turn derives from the Latin approbare, formed from ad- (toward) plus probare (to test, try, or judge as good). The same Latin root probare produced the English words prove, probe, probable, and proof, making them all close etymological relatives. The word entered English in the medieval period via French and has retained its dual character ever since: one meaning tied to formal sanction, the other to favorable judgment.
Related word forms
How approve is actually used
Note the important grammatical distinction between the two senses: the formal sense takes a direct object ("approved the plan"), while the personal-favor sense typically requires the preposition "of" ("approved of the plan"). The verb is common in both everyday and formal contexts, though the official-sanction sense leans toward institutional and bureaucratic language.
Easily confused with approve
"Prove" means to demonstrate that something is true through evidence, while "approve" means to give official agreement or express a favorable opinion.