[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

approve \approve"\, v. t. imp.  p. p. approved; p. pr. 
   vb. n. approving. oe. aproven, appreven, to prove, of.
   aprover, f. approuver, to approve, fr. l. approbare; ad +
   probare to esteem as good, approve, prove. see prove, and
   cf. approbate.
   1. to show to be real or true; to prove. obs.
      1913 webster

            wouldst thou approve thy constancy? approve
            first thy obedience.                  --milton.
      1913 webster

   2. to make proof of; to demonstrate; to prove or show
      practically.
      1913 webster

            opportunities to approve . . . worth. --emerson.
      1913 webster

            he had approved himself a great warrior. --macaulay.
      1913 webster

            't is an old lesson; time approves it true. --byron.
      1913 webster

            his account . . . approves him a man of thought.
                                                  --parkman.
      1913 webster

   3. to sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm; as, to
      approve the decision of a court-martial.
      1913 webster

   4. to regard as good; to commend; to be pleased with; to
      think well of; as, we approve the measured of the
      administration.
      1913 webster

   5. to make or show to be worthy of approbation or acceptance.
      1913 webster

            the first care and concern must be to approve
            himself to god.                       --rogers.
      1913 webster

   note: this word, when it signifies to be pleased with, to
         think favorably of, is often followed by of.
         1913 webster

               they had not approved of the deposition of james.
                                                  --macaulay.
         1913 webster

               they approved of the political institutions. --w.
                                                  black.
         1913 webster
see also:
approved approving prove approbate 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

approved
     adj 1: established by authority; given authoritative approval; "a
            list of approved candidates" syn: sanctioned
     2: generally or especially officially judged acceptable or
        satisfactory; "an approved method"; "work on the approved
        project went ahead on schedule" ant: disapproved
see also:
sanctioned disapproved 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

96 moby thesaurus words for "approved":
   christian, accepted, acclaimed, acknowledged, admired, admitted,
   adopted, advocated, affirmed, allowed, applauded, appointed,
   authentic, authenticated, authoritative, avowed, backed,
   being done, canonical, carried, cathedral, certified, chosen,
   comme il faut, conceded, confessed, confirmed, conformable,
   conventional, correct, countersigned, cried up, customary,
   de rigueur, decent, decorous, designated, elect, elected,
   elected by acclamation, embraced, endorsed, espoused, evangelical,
   ex cathedra, faithful, favored, favorite, firm, formal, granted,
   handpicked, highly touted, in good odor, literal, magisterial,
   meet, named, nominated, notarized, of the faith, official,
   orthodox, orthodoxical, passed, picked, popular, professed, proper,
   ratified, received, recognized, recommended, right, scriptural,
   sealed, seemly, select, selected, signed, sound, stamped, standard,
   supported, sworn and affirmed, sworn to, textual, traditional,
   traditionalistic, true, true-blue, unanimously elected,
   underwritten, validated, warranted, well-thought-of

Approved >> A Words
Approved, definition of term: Approved
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