{
    "term": "approve",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "approve",
            "heSheIt": "approves"
        },
        "pastSimple": "approved",
        "pastParticiple": "approved",
        "ingForm": "approving"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to think that somebody/something is good, acceptable or suitable",
            "sensetop": "approve of somebody/somethingapprove of somebody doing somethingapprove of somebody’s doing something",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I told my mother I wanted to leave school but she didn't approve."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do you approve of my idea?",
                    "contextForm": "approve of somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She didn't quite approve of the way he was running things."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She doesn't approve of me leaving school this year.",
                    "contextForm": "approve of somebody doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She doesn't approve of my leaving school this year.",
                    "contextForm": "approve of somebody’s doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't personally approve but I'm willing to live with it."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He didn't say anything, but I could tell from the look on his face that he didn't approve."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I very much approve of these new tests."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I wholeheartedly approve of his actions."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["fully", "heartily", "strongly"],
                "preposition": ["of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to officially agree to a plan, request, etc.",
            "sensetop": "approve something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The committee unanimously **approved the plan**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We hope that the proposals will soon be approved by the committee."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to approve a bill/application"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They approved the creation of a human resources development centre."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His appointment has not been formally approved yet."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Legislature narrowly approved an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The committee has approved the compensation package."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["formally", "officially", "federally"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to say that something is good enough to be used or is correct",
            "sensetop": "be approved by somebody/somethingbe approved for somethingbe approved as somethingapprove something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The course is approved by the Department for Education.",
                    "contextForm": "be approved by somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This medicine is not **approved for use** in children.",
                    "contextForm": "be approved for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The chemical has never been federally approved as a pesticide.",
                    "contextForm": "be approved as something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The auditors approved the company's accounts.",
                    "contextForm": "approve something"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈpruːv/",
                "audio": "ap/approve/approve__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈpruːvz/",
                "audio": "ap/approve/approves__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈpruːvd/",
                "audio": "ap/approve/approved__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈpruːvɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ap/approve/approving__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈpruːv/",
                "audio": "ap/approve/approve__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈpruːvz/",
                "audio": "ap/approve/approves__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈpruːvd/",
                "audio": "ap/approve/approved__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈpruːvɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ap/approve/approving__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French aprover, from Latin approbare (from ad- ‘to’ + probare ‘try, test’). The original sense was ‘prove, demonstrate’, later ‘corroborate, confirm’, hence ‘pronounce to be satisfactory’ (late Middle English)."
}