Please approve

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Please approve" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when requesting someone to give their consent or authorization for something. For example, "Please approve the budget proposal by the end of the week." Alternative expressions include "Kindly approve" and "Please give your approval."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Please approve the following synopsis as it will appear in the table of contents: Psychiatric research on children and adolescents is ethically justified by the need to reduce the burden that mental illnesses place on young people, their families, and society.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America

The uniform needs to be almost invisible in its ordinariness but still somehow say: dear god please approve of me, also I promise I have a fun personality, please approve of me, also I have one of those mini kegs in my fridge if you want to come over and watch American Dad.

Vice

P.S. Can you please approve Dad, myself and Chris on your visitor list?" Several of Holmes' female admirers tell him they plan to see him at his trial.

Huffington Post

"What fun is buying somebody an election if you have no elected official to share the moment with?" "Please approve this opinion, as more money is needed to influence voters opinions.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

"Listen to this," he began, and as soon as I heard the words "Dear madam, the prime minister has asked me to inform you...'..' Jonathan Anderson's paisley-print pantsuit melted before me into a psychedelic fudge, "... that Her Majesty may be graciously pleased to approve that you be appointed a Member of the British Empire (M.B.E). in the 2011 Birthday Honors List".

The New York Times

It said: "The prime minister has asked me to inform you, in strict confidence, that he has in mind, on the occasion of the forthcoming list of New Year's honours to submit your name to the Queen with a recommendation that Her Majesty may be graciously pleased to approve that you be appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire".

The Guardian

When the Flags Bill was introduced into parliament on 20 November 1953, Menzies said: "This bill is very largely a formal measure which puts into legislative form what has become almost the established practice in Australia.. The design adopted was submitted to His Majesty King Edward VII, and he was pleased to approve of it as the Australian flag in 1902.

Wikipedia

I am pleased to approve this article for publication.

F1000Research

The IMF too was pleased, and approved the release of another $450m in loans.

The Economist

The gist of it was that the E.P.A. — seeking as usual to please industry — had approved a weak set of regulations that would let many plants off the hook for emissions reductions that would be required under any honest reading of the law.

The New York Times

In this modern age of technology, please give parents approved websites in order to get valid information".

European Journal of Medical Genetics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In digital workflows, use this phrase in the subject line or the opening sentence to signal that the recipient is the decision-maker in the process.

Common error

Avoid using "approve of" when you are asking for a formal signature or authorization. Saying "Please approve of the report" suggests you are asking the person to like or have a good opinion of the report, whereas "Please approve" correctly asks for their formal permission.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "Please approve" functions as a polite imperative construction. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it serves as a call to action directed at an authority figure to provide formal validation or consent.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "Please approve" is a highly effective, professional phrase used to request authorization across various fields. Ludwig AI shows its presence in high-stakes environments ranging from psychiatric research publications in ScienceDirect to legal and financial reporting in The New York Times. While its literal count is categorized as rare compared to broader conversational idioms, its utility in professional workflows is significant. It is most effective when followed by a specific noun and is often interchanged with "kindly approve" or "please authorize" to adjust the level of formality or politeness. Users should be careful not to confuse it with "approve of", which denotes a subjective opinion rather than a formal action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Kindly approve

Adds a softer, more polite tone often used in formal correspondence.

Please authorize

More formal and specific to granting legal or official permission.

Please sign off on

An idiomatic business expression indicating final approval of a project or task.

Kindly grant authorization

Combines a polite adverb with a formal noun for high-level requests.

Please provide your sign-off

Changes the verb to a noun phrase, sounding more administrative.

Seeking your approval

Framed as a statement of intent rather than a direct command.

Please endorse

Implies support or public approval rather than just administrative permission.

Please give your consent

Used when the approval involves personal permission or legal agreement.

Please validate

Often used in technical or data-driven contexts to confirm accuracy.

Would you mind approving

A softer, indirect question format to reduce the pressure of the request.

FAQs

How do I use "Please approve" in an email?

You can use it at the beginning or end of an email to request a signature or permission, such as "Please approve the attached invoice for payment" or use an alternative like "please authorize" for more formal requests.

What is the difference between "Please approve" and "Please endorse"?

"Please approve" is usually about granting permission for a process to continue, whereas "please endorse" implies a deeper level of public support or recommendation of a person or idea.

Can I say "Kindly approve" instead?

Yes, "kindly approve" is a perfectly interchangeable and slightly more polite version often used in British English or very formal business settings.

Should I say "Please approve of"?

No, if you are seeking a signature or professional sign-off. Use "please sign off on" or simply "Please approve". Use "approve of" only when talking about someone's personal opinion or moral judgment.