"express a liking or satisfaction," late 15c., from Latin approbatus, past participle of approbare "to assent to (as good), favor" (see approbation). Related: Approbated; approbating.
Entries linking to approbate
approbation n.
"approval, endorsement," early 15c., approbacioun, from Old French aprobacion "approval" (Modern French approbation) and directly from Latin approbationem (nominative approbatio) "an approval," noun of action from past-participle stem of approbare "to assent to" as good, from ad "to" (see ad-) + probare "to try, test something (to find if it is good)," from probus "honest, genuine" (see prove). Also in Middle English in a now-obsolete sense of "proven effectiveness, excellence" (late 14c.).