approve regulations

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "approve regulations" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where an authority or governing body is giving formal consent or endorsement to specific rules or guidelines. Example: "The committee will meet next week to approve regulations regarding environmental protection."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

This included a motion in 1931 urging the governor general to refuse to approve regulations in the current session that were the same in substance as regulations already disallowed by the Senate, and a motion in 1914 asking the governor general to submit six constitution alteration proposals to the people even though they had not been passed by the House of Representatives.

The Guardian

The bills that have attracted the support of the small group of Democrats have included ones that provide tax cuts; support the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline; and change the ways the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies study and approve regulations.

The New York Times

The clerk said the Senate had passed a motion in 1931 urging the governor general to refuse to approve regulations in the current session that were the same in substance as regulations already disallowed by the Senate, and a motion in 1914 asking the governor general to submit six constitution alteration proposals to the people even though they had not been passed by the House of Representatives.

The Guardian

Local authorities have to get their schemes in place before the start of the next financial year in April 2013 but cannot do so until AMs approve regulations.

BBC

Meanwhile, lawmakers have yet to approve regulations to let vendors do business legally.

Los Angeles Times

What the report then neglects to discuss is the demise of Roosevelt's grand experiment at the hands of Democratic Party hustlers who turned the agencies away from their "original mission" and into their personal piggy banks while getting Democrats in Congress to approve regulations enabling their greed.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

[A8.] Bush Approves Mining Regulation The Bush administration has approved regulations that will allow coal companies to dump leftover dirt and rock from mountaintop mining into streams and valleys.

The New York Times

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, which regulates fishing in federal waters in the gulf, approved regulations that would for the first time allow aquaculture in federal waters of the United States.

The New York Times

The number of livestock units pastured was in most cases stipulated in approved regulations.

Land Use Policy

The EU approved regulations in May 2006 to ensure that nutrition and health claims appearing on food products were scientifically proven.

The Telegraph

In January the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries announced that it approved of whale exports in principle, and this month it approved regulations and procedures for issuing export licenses.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Make sure it's clear which entity is doing the approving (e.g. "The city council will approve the regulations").

Common error

A common error is using "approve regulations" when the regulations are only being suggested or discussed, not yet officially endorsed. Ensure the regulations have actually been formally accepted before using this phrase.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "approve regulations" functions as a verb phrase where "approve" is the verb indicating the action of giving formal consent, and "regulations" is the direct object, representing the set of rules being endorsed. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "approve regulations" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression for describing the formal endorsement of rules by an authority. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is usable in written English. While mostly found in news and media, the phrase maintains a neutral to professional register. When using this phrase, ensure the context clearly indicates the regulations are officially endorsed, not just proposed or discussed. Remember to consider alternatives like "ratify rules" or "authorize guidelines" to precisely match the intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ratify rules

Implies a formal approval, often by a legislative body, making it official.

authorize guidelines

Focuses on granting permission or power for specific guidelines to be implemented.

endorse rules

Suggests public support or recommendation for a set of rules.

validate regulations

Emphasizes confirming the legitimacy or correctness of the regulations.

sanction regulations

Implies official permission or approval, often with a legal or authoritative backing.

adopt rules

Focuses on formally accepting and implementing a set of rules.

legislate rules

Suggests the process of creating rules through legislation.

pass regulations

Indicates successful approval of regulations by a governing body.

enact regulations

Refers to the process of putting regulations into effect, giving them legal force.

certify rules

Highlights the formal confirmation that rules meet certain standards.

FAQs

What does "approve regulations" mean?

To "approve regulations" means that an authority or governing body has given formal consent or endorsement to specific rules or guidelines.

What can I say instead of "approve regulations"?

You can use alternatives like "ratify rules", "authorize guidelines", or "endorse rules" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "the regulations were approved by" or "the regulations approved"?

It is more grammatically sound to say "the regulations were approved by" because it indicates who performed the action of approval. Saying "the regulations approved" is incorrect because regulations cannot approve themselves.

How is "approve regulations" different from "propose regulations"?

"Propose regulations" means to suggest new rules or guidelines, whereas "approve regulations" means to officially accept and enact those rules after consideration.