imprimatur

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 20, 2022 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>imprimatur</strong> &#149; \im-pruh-MAH-toor\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p>An <em>imprimatur</em> is an official approval.</p> <p>// The governor gave his <em>imprimatur</em> to the proposed reforms.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprimatur">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Various uses for the land—some grandiose—have been floated and sunk over the years, but the latest proposal … was given the <em>imprimatur</em> of the city commission, which unanimously approved it….." — Larry Keller, <em>The Palm Beach Daily News</em>, 14 Jan. 2022</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Imprimatur</em> means "let it be printed" in New Latin. It comes from Latin <em>imprimere</em>, meaning to "<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprint">imprint</a>" or "<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impress">impress</a>." In the 1600s, the word appeared in the front matter of books, accompanied by the name of an official authorizing the book's printing. In time, English speakers began using <em>imprimatur</em> in the general sense of "official approval."</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>