Part 329

His account . . . approves him a man of thought. Parkman.

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

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

5. To make or show to be worthy of approbation or acceptance.

The first care and concern must be to approve himself to God. Rogers.

This word, when it signifies to be pleased with, to think favorably (of), is often followed by of.

They had not approved of the deposition of James. Macaulay.

They approved of the political institutions. W. Black.

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Ap*prove" (p*prv"), v. t. [OF. aprouer; a (L. ad) + a form apparently derived fr. the pro, prod, in L. prodest it is useful or profitable, properly the preposition pro for. Cf. Improve.] (Eng. Law) To make profit of; to convert to one's own profit; -- said esp. of waste or common land appropriated by the lord of the manor.

Ap*prov"ed*ly (&?;), adv. So as to secure approbation; in an approved manner.

Ap*prove"ment (&?;), n. [Obs.] 1. Approbation.

I did nothing without your approvement. Hayward.

2. (Eng. Law) a confession of guilt by a prisoner charged with treason or felony, together with an accusation of his accomplish and a giving evidence against them in order to obtain his own pardon. The term is no longer in use; it corresponded to what is now known as turning king's (or queen's) evidence in England, and state's evidence in the United States. Burrill. Bouvier.

Ap*prove"ment, n. (Old Eng. Law) Improvement of common lands, by inclosing and converting them to the uses of husbandry for the advantage of the lord of the manor. Blackstone.

Ap*prov"er (&?;), n. 1. One who approves. Formerly, one who made proof or trial.

2. An informer; an accuser. [Obs.] Chaucer.

3. (Eng. Law) One who confesses a crime and accuses another. See 1st Approvement, 2.

Ap*prov"er, n. [See 2d Approve, v. t.] (Eng. Law) A bailiff or steward; an agent. [Obs.] Jacobs.

Ap*prov"ing, a. Expressing approbation; commending; as, an approving smile. -- Ap*prov"ing*ly, adv.

Ap*prox"i*mate (&?;), a. [L. approximatus, p. p. of approximare to approach; ad + proximare to come near. See Proximate.] 1. Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.

2. Near correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate; as, approximate results or values.

Approximate quantities (Math.), those which are nearly, but not, equal.

Ap*prox"i*mate (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Approximated (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Approximating.] 1. To carry or advance near; to cause to approach.

To approximate the inequality of riches to the level of nature. Burke.

2. To come near to; to approach.

The telescope approximates perfection. J. Morse.

Ap*prox"i*mate, v. i. To draw; to approach.