approbare

Approbare is a Latin verb meaning to approve, to approve of, to sanction, or to prove as genuine. In classical Latin it is used for formally endorsing a decision, a proposal, or a person’s conduct. Its principal parts are approbō, approbāre, approbāvī, approbātum. The corresponding noun form approbātiō denotes the act or result of approval. The term is the source of several English words, notably approbate (archaic) and approbation (a formal or enthusiastic approval).

Usage and scope in Latin contexts include official endorsement, confirmation of laws or decrees, and moral or rhetorical approval of a person’s character or actions. In ecclesiastical and legal Latin, approbāre could appear in contexts related to sanctioning texts, proposals, or publications after scrutiny.

Across the Romance languages, cognate forms reflect the same root: Italian approvare, Spanish aprobar, French approuver, Portuguese aprovar, all with the sense “to approve” or “to authorize.” English inherits approbation from Latin via medieval Latin and Old French, where it evolved to denote formal sanction as well as praise.

In modern English, approbation is commonly used to denote formal or official approval, while approbate survives as an archaic or specialized term. The usual verb for everyday use is approve. The concept remains central in legal, administrative, and literary contexts, where formal approval or endorsement is required. See also approval, approbatory, and imprimatur as related notions of sanction or permission.