to acquire approval

USAGE SUMMARY

"to acquire approval" is an acceptable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation in which someone needs approval from another person or organization in order to take a certain action. For example: He needed to acquire approval from the department head before he could start the project.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Each participating institution will be required to acquire approval or exemption from its Institutional Review Board IRBB).

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

We first visited the management supervisors at the hospitals in person to acquire approval.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

For a time, centers that lost accreditation from one of the four often could simply acquire approval from another, no questions asked.

Los Angeles Times

However we believe that it is unlikely to be able to match the £40m cost synergies targeted in the proposed merger of Northern and Greencore and, moreover, it would have to acquire the approval of Northern's pension trustees.

The Guardian - Business

The deal, one of the largest in Asia this year, took over two months to acquire regulatory approval as India’s telecom and law ministries looked into charges that the ownership structure of Hutchison Essar violated rules that cap the foreign ownership share of telecom companies at 74%.

Forbes

The FDA gave drug manufacturers until 2000, and then until 2003, to acquire FDA approval.

Huffington Post

(2) The impossibility to acquire the approval of everyone would reduce the statistical power of most studies.

European Journal of Epidemiology

Tight prescribing budgets can mean that acquiring approval to switch to capecitabine is difficult but the additional benefits for patients should be weighed in any such decision.

British Journal of Cancer

This process includes conceptualizing of ideas, program design, acquiring approval and support from policy participants, and finally the successful implementation of the policy.

The Journal of Chinese Sociology

Tissue specimens were collected after acquiring approval from the Institutional Review Board of National Cheng Kung University Hospital (Tainan, Taiwan).

Cancer

If it is necessary to reproduce information for which one is not the source, it is essential to check the accuracy and appropriateness with the source before publishing, and to acquire the signed approval from the source.

Harvard University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "to acquire approval", ensure the context clearly indicates the specific authority or entity from which approval is needed. For example, specify "to acquire approval from the ethics committee".

Common error

Avoid using "to acquire approval" when the situation requires more than just formal permission. If you need active support or agreement, consider using "to gain endorsement" or "to secure buy-in" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to acquire approval" functions as an infinitive phrase, indicating a purpose or intention. Ludwig AI states that it describes obtaining permission for an action. It commonly modifies verbs, explaining why an action is taken, as seen in the examples provided.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "to acquire approval" is a grammatically correct infinitive phrase used to indicate the purpose of obtaining permission or authorization. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's most suitable for formal contexts and professional settings. While "to acquire approval" is not exceedingly common, it is recognized and used across various domains including science, news, and academia. When employing this phrase, be precise about specifying the source of approval. Alternatives like "to obtain authorization" or "to secure permission" may be more appropriate depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to obtain authorization

Replaces "acquire" with "obtain" and "approval" with "authorization", offering a slightly more formal tone.

to secure permission

Substitutes "acquire approval" with the more direct "secure permission", emphasizing the act of gaining consent.

to gain endorsement

Replaces "approval" with "endorsement", suggesting a more active form of support is being sought.

to get clearance

Uses "get clearance" in place of "acquire approval", implying a process of verification and permission.

to receive sanction

Employs "receive sanction", indicating a formal or official approval process.

to solicit agreement

Focuses on actively seeking agreement, rather than passively receiving approval.

to seek validation

Replaces "approval" with "validation", highlighting the need for confirmation or substantiation.

to win consent

Highlights the effort required to gain agreement or permission.

to procure assent

Uses more formal vocabulary to express gaining agreement.

to achieve acceptance

Focuses on the outcome of being accepted, rather than the process of getting approval.

FAQs

How can I use "to acquire approval" in a sentence?

You can use "to acquire approval" to describe the act of obtaining permission or authorization for a specific action. For example: "The company needed to acquire approval from the board before proceeding with the merger."

What are some alternatives to "to acquire approval"?

Some alternatives include "to obtain authorization", "to secure permission", or "to gain endorsement", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "get approval" or "acquire approval"?

"Get approval" is more informal and common in everyday conversation. "Acquire approval" is more formal and often used in business or academic contexts.

What's the difference between "approval" and "clearance" in the context of acquiring permission?

"Approval" generally signifies agreement or permission to proceed, while "clearance" often implies that something has been checked and found to meet specific requirements. For example, you might need "to get clearance" from customs, but "to acquire approval" from a supervisor.