WORD OF THE DAY: Approbate
[AP-rə-beyt]
Part of speech: Verb
Origin: Latin, 15th century
Definition: Approve formally; sanction.
Examples of Approbate in a sentence
“In order to build a shed, the city council needed to approbate my project with a building permit.”
“My boss approbated my expenses from my trip to the trade show.”
About Approbate
“Approbate” is derived from Latin, mingling “ad-” (meaning “to”), “probare” (meaning “try” or test”), and “approbat,” meaning “approved.” Together the term suggests the kind of approval that can stand up to tests of its legitimacy. Though the term was common among English-speaking countries, it fell out of use in Europe in the 17th century and has continued to be used primarily in the United States.
Did you Know?
“Approbate” is often used in the context of legal wills, where it is frequently paired with the contrary verb “reprobate,” meaning (in the legal context) “to reject.” In legal discussions, “approbate” often means “accept” rather than “formally approve.” The most common pairing of these verbs is used to suggest a person cannot approbate a will while also reprobating it. In plainer language, that means someone cannot accept the terms of some part of a will (for example, the part in which they receive inheritance) while also denying the legitimacy of other parts of the will — perhaps to argue another person should not receive an inheritance.
