Approbation
/ˌæp.rəˈbeɪ.ʃən/noun
Formal approval or praise.
Did you know?Approbation comes from Latin roots meaning “to test and approve,” and in older legal and moral contexts it could imply a serious judgment of worth, not just casual praise.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bheuH-
“to become, to be”
Latin
Latin
probare
“to test, try, approve”
Late Latin
Latin
approbāre
“to approve, sanction”
Old French
Old French
approbacion
“approval, commendation”
Middle English
English
approbacioun
“approval, official sanction”
Modern English
English
approbation
“formal approval or praise”