sought approval

USAGE SUMMARY

"sought approval" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe the act of seeking permission from someone else. Example sentence: The company sought approval from the board of directors to raise the budget for the project.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Mr. Giddens sought approval for his legal fees through February.

The New York Times

The company first sought approval for Ketek in February 2000.

The New York Times - Health

He sought approval from Tom Freston, Viacom's C.E.O. at the time.

The New Yorker

Idec Pharmaceuticals and Genentech jointly sought approval of Rituximab; it was not developed solely by Genentech.

The New York Times

None of these PMs sought approval of these changes through a referendum.

The Guardian

One roommate sought approval to keep her music collection in the living room.

The New York Times - Tech

Westpac sought approval from New Zealand's competition regulator to buy the Lloyds unit, the National Bank.

The New York Times

Vatican officials have said that Boston has not yet sought approval.

The New York Times

The company sought approval for the project from the Canadian authorities last month.

The Guardian

The appellants never have sought approval for development of their land under the zoning ordinances.

Harvard University

CAEL has not currently sought approval from specific certification and licensure programs.

Harvard University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "sought approval", clearly state from whom the approval was sought and for what purpose to provide context and avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "sought approval" without specifying who granted or was expected to grant the approval. The sentence becomes vague if the source of approval is missing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sought approval" functions as a verb phrase where 'sought' (past tense of seek) acts as the main verb indicating the action of trying to obtain something, and 'approval' serves as the direct object. As Ludwig AI shows, this phrase is commonly used to describe the act of requesting permission or authorization.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sought approval" is a commonly used phrase to describe the act of attempting to obtain permission or authorization. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and versatile, appearing frequently in news, academic, and business contexts. When using "sought approval", it's best to specify who the approval was sought from to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives like "requested authorization" or "applied for permission" can be used depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey. Remember that "sought approval" indicates the act of seeking, while "received approval" indicates that the permission was granted.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

requested authorization

Replaces 'sought' with 'requested' and 'approval' with 'authorization', emphasizing the formal nature of the request.

applied for permission

Uses 'applied for' instead of 'sought', highlighting the action of making a formal application.

asked for consent

Substitutes 'sought' with 'asked for' and 'approval' with 'consent', implying agreement or permission.

obtained clearance

Focuses on the result of seeking approval, which is obtaining clearance.

petitioned for endorsement

Emphasizes a formal request for support or endorsement.

pursued ratification

Highlights the action of working towards formal validation or agreement.

aimed to secure acceptance

Replaces 'sought' with 'aimed to secure' and 'approval' with 'acceptance', indicating an effort to gain acceptance.

looked for agreement

Uses 'looked for' instead of 'sought', emphasizing the search for agreement.

tried to gain endorsement

Substitutes 'sought' with 'tried to gain' and 'approval' with 'endorsement', implying an effort to obtain support.

worked toward validation

Focuses on the effort to achieve validation, implying a process of seeking approval.

FAQs

How to use "sought approval" in a sentence?

Use "sought approval" to indicate that someone requested or tried to get permission for something. For instance, "The company "sought approval" from the FDA for their new drug".

What can I say instead of "sought approval"?

You can use alternatives like "requested authorization", "applied for permission", or "asked for consent" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "sought approval" or "seek approval"?

"Sought approval" is the past tense, used when the action of seeking approval has already occurred. "Seek approval" is the present tense or infinitive, used when referring to the act of seeking approval in general or as a future action.

What's the difference between "sought approval" and "received approval"?

"Sought approval" means someone tried to get permission, while "received approval" means they successfully obtained that permission. The former describes the act of requesting, while the latter describes the outcome of that request.