What does indorse mean?
Indorse means to approve, authorize, or give support to something, often in a formal or public setting. A government, institution, professional body, or individual may indorse a proposal, policy, decision, or candidate, indicating that the person or group believes it deserves approval. The verb can also have the older and still familiar financial sense of writing instructions on the back of a check or similar document. Although endorse is now the usual spelling in general use, indorse remains especially recognizable in legal, commercial, and administrative contexts. In conversation, the choice of word can also suggest endorsement from a position of authority or influence. The related noun indorsement denotes the act of approval, the statement or signature expressing it, or, in older financial usage, the writing placed on the back of a cheque. Indorse is therefore closely tied to public trust and official approval, while retaining a concrete documentary meaning from its history.
To approve, endorse, or give official support to a person, action, proposal, or document.
"The board voted to indorse the new policy."
The spelling is traditional and is especially associated with formal, legal, and financial language.
To write instructions, a signature, or an authorization on the back of a financial document.
"She indorsed the cheque before handing it to the cashier."
This is a traditional financial sense and is particularly common in American usage.
Before endorsement was mainly figurative, you could literally indorse a check by writing instructions on its back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does indorse come from?
Indorse and endorse are historical spelling variants of the same English verb. They ultimately derive from Medieval Latin endossare, a form of endorsare meaning to write on the back, from endo- meaning upon and Latin dorsum meaning back. The original sense developed when instructions or signatures were written on the reverse of financial documents, and the verb was later extended to mean approve or support.
Related word forms
How indorse is actually used
Indorse is a less common spelling variant of endorse. It sounds formal and traditional and is particularly associated with financial, legal, and institutional language; endorse is more usual in everyday speech.
Easily confused with indorse
Endorse is the standard modern spelling, while indorse is a traditional variant that remains especially familiar in financial and legal contexts.