Word of the Day : December 8, 2018

approbation \ap-ruh-BAY-shun\ noun

Definition

1 : commendation, praise

2 : an act of approving formally or officially

Did You Know?

Approbation is similar in meaning to approval, and it is also very close to approval etymologically. Both words trace back to the Latin verb approbare, which means "to prove" or "to approve." Approbation meant "proof" when it first appeared in English in the 14th century, and by the early 1500s it had come to mean "formal or official approval," a sense it still retains in certain ecclesiastical contexts. Today, however, we mostly use approbation in the looser sense of "approval, admiration, or praise." The related verb approbate means "to approve or sanction," and the adjective approbatory means "expressing approval or commendation."

Aired December 8, 2018

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com