different between approbation vs compliment

English

Etymology

From late Middle English approbacioun, from Old French approbacion (French approbation), from Latin approbatio, from approbare (“to assent to as good, approve, also show to be good, confirm”), from ad (“to”) + probare (“approve, commend”), from probus (“good”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?æp.????be?.??n/, /?æp.???be?.??n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?æp.?o??be?.??n/, /?æp.???be?.??n/

Noun

approbation (countable and uncountable, plural approbations)

1. The act of approving; an assenting to the propriety of a thing with some degree of pleasure or satisfaction; approval, sanction, commendation or official recognition.
   • 1871, Charles Darwin, Descent of Man, ch. 3:

     [A]nimals not only love, but have desire to be loved. . . . They love approbation or praise.

Usage notes

• Approbation and approval have the same general meaning, assenting to or declaring as good, sanction, commendation; but approbation is stronger and more positive. We may be anxious for the approbation of our friends; but we should be still more anxious for the approval of our own consciences. He who is desirous to obtain universal approbation will learn a good lesson from the fable of the old man and his ass. The work has been examined by several excellent judges, who have expressed their unqualified approval of its plan and execution.
  (material dates from 1913)

Synonyms

• (act of approving): approval, concurrence, consent, liking, sanction
• See also Thesaurus:praise

Antonyms

• (act of approving): disapprobation

Related terms

Translations

See also

• approbation on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Further reading

• approbation in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• approbation in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• approbation at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin approb?ti?, approb?ti?nem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.p??.ba.sj??/

Noun

approbation f (plural approbations)

1. approval (permission)

Related terms

• approbateur

Further reading

• “approbation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French compliment, itself a borrowing of Italian complimento, which in turn is a borrowing from Spanish cumplimiento, from cumplir (“to comply, complete, do what is proper”). Doublet of complement.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?mpl?m?nt/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?mpl?m?nt/
• Homophone: complement

Noun

compliment (plural compliments)

1. An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect.
   • c. 1610, William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale, Act I, Scene 2,^[1]

     […] I met him

     With customary compliment; when he,

     Wafting his eyes to the contrary and falling

     A lip of much contempt, speeds from me and

     So leaves me to consider what is breeding

     That changeth thus his manners.

   • 1671, John Milton, Paradise Regained, London: T. Longman et al., 1796, Book 4, p. 65,^[2]

     [...] what honour that,

     but tedious waste of time, to sit and hear

     So many hollow compliments and lies,

     Outlandish flatteries?

   • 1782, William Cowper, “Table Talk” in Poems, London: J. Johnson, p. 37,^[3]

     Virtue indeed meets many a rhiming friend,

     And many a compliment politely penn’d,

2. (uncountable) Complimentary language; courtesy, flattery.
   • 1743, Robert Drury, The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during his Fifteen Years Captivity on the Island of Madagascar, London, p. 25,^[4]

     He told the Captain, He was heartily sorry for his Misfortunes; tho’ in my Opinion that was nothing but a Compliment: For, as I found afterwards, he was more brutish, and dishonest, than most of the other Kings on the Island […]
3. Misspelling of complement.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:praise

Antonyms

• insult

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

compliment (third-person singular simple present compliments, present participle complimenting, simple past and past participle complimented)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To pay a compliment (to); to express a favorable opinion (of).
   • 1709, Matthew Prior, Pleasure

     Monarchs should their inward soul disguise; […] / Should compliment their foes and shun their friends.

2. Misspelling of complement.

Antonyms

• insult

Translations

See also

• complement

Catalan

Etymology

From complir. Cf. also Spanish cumplimiento, Latin complementum.

Noun

compliment m (plural compliments)

1. compliment

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French compliment, from Italian complimento, from Old Spanish cumplimiento.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k?m.pli?m?nt/
• Hyphenation: com?pli?ment
• Rhymes: -?nt

Noun

compliment n (plural complimenten, diminutive complimentje n)

1. compliment

Derived terms

• complimenteus

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian complimento, itself a borrowing from Spanish cumplimiento, from Latin compl?mentum. Doublet of complément.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.pli.m??/

Noun

compliment m (plural compliments)

1. compliment (positive comment)

Derived terms

• complimenter

References

• “compliment” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Romanian

Etymology

From French compliment

Noun

compliment n (plural complimente)

1. compliment

Declension