Word: approbation (noun)

Associations

"Approbation" means approval or praise. It is often used in formal or serious situations when someone agrees with or supports something.

• Example 1: The teacher gave her approbation to the student's project. (The teacher approved the project.)
• Example 2: The new law received approbation from the community leaders. (The leaders agreed with the law.)
• Example 3: His work won the approbation of the critics. (The critics praised his work.)

A well-known synonym is "approval." The difference is that "approbation" sounds more formal and sometimes more official or public than "approval," which is more common in everyday speech.

Substitution

You can replace "approbation" with:

• approval (more common, less formal)
• praise (focuses more on expressing admiration)
• endorsement (means public support, often for ideas or products)

Each choice changes the tone a little. For example, "endorsement" is often used in politics or business, while "praise" is more about admiration.

Deconstruction

The word "approbation" comes from Latin:

• "ad-" means "to" or "toward"
• "probare" means "to test" or "to approve"
• The suffix "-tion" turns the verb into a noun meaning "the act of"

So, "approbation" literally means "the act of approving."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you received approbation for something you did?
• How is approbation different from just saying "good job"?
• When would it be better to use "approval" instead of "approbation"?