Approve of Something, or Just Approve It? The Preposition Changes Everything
To approve something is to give it official permission. To approve of something is to think it is good. The little word of separates authority from opinion.
Approve without a preposition is official: a committee approves a budget, a regulator approves a drug. Approve of is personal: you approve of a decision, meaning you think well of it, whether or not anyone asked.
- To authorise officially. *Parliament approved the bill.*
- To think well of (with of). *Her parents did not approve of the plan.*
- To confirm as satisfactory. *The design was approved on Friday.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | approve | They approved the loan. |
| Past | approved | Approved last week. |
| Noun | approval | Subject to approval. |
| Adjective | approved | An approved supplier. |
| Negative | disapprove | She disapproves of gossip. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The council approved the plans in ten minutes.Official permission.
- I do not approve of the way it was handled.Personal judgement — note the of.
- The drug is approved for use in adults only.Regulatory language.
- Send it up for approval before printing.The noun.
Approve, endorse, authorise and ratify
- Approve — accept as satisfactory or permitted
- Endorse — publicly support, often putting your name to it
- Authorise — give someone the power to act
- Ratify — formally confirm an agreement already made
From Old French *aprover*, from Latin *approbare*, to make good or assent to, from *ad* plus *probare*, to test — the same root as *prove* and *probe*.
Approve or approve of?
Use approve alone for official decisions and approve of for personal opinions. *The board approved the plan* and *I approve of the plan* mean different things.
What is the noun?
Approval. *Approvement* exists only as an obsolete legal term.