disapprobation: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Literary
Quick answer
What does “disapprobation” mean?
Strong moral or social disapproval.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Strong moral or social disapproval; condemnation.
The act or state of disapproving strongly, especially on moral grounds, often implying an official or formal judgment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major usage difference. Slightly more common in British formal writing.
Connotations
Equally formal and weighty in both varieties.
Frequency
Very low frequency in everyday speech in both regions; chiefly found in formal writing, legal, or religious contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “disapprobation” in a Sentence
meet with/encounter + disapprobationexpress/voice + disapprobationdisapprobation + of/for + [action/person]subject/person + incur + disapprobationVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “disapprobation” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The proposal was widely disapprobated by the committee.
- He feared his conduct would be disapprobated in the press.
American English
- The senator's comments were roundly disapprobated by her colleagues.
- Such practices are generally disapprobated in professional circles.
adverb
British English
- The headmaster shook his head disapprobatively.
- She spoke disapprobatively of the changes to the tradition.
American English
- The judge looked down disapprobatively at the defendant.
- He muttered disapprobatively under his breath.
adjective
British English
- She gave him a look of deep disapprobative intensity.
- His report took a disapprobative tone towards the policy.
American English
- The editorial was highly disapprobative of the mayor's decision.
- He avoided his uncle's disapprobative glare.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in formal reports about ethical breaches: 'The board's actions incurred the disapprobation of shareholders.'
Academic
Used in social sciences, ethics, and history to describe societal sanctions: 'The study measured the correlation between social deviance and public disapprobation.'
Everyday
Extremely rare in casual conversation. Would sound very formal.
Technical
Occurs in legal, philosophical, or theological texts denoting formal condemnation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “disapprobation”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “disapprobation”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “disapprobation”
- Mispronunciation (e.g., stress on 'pro' instead of 'ba'). Confusing it with the more common 'disapproval'. Using it in informal contexts where it sounds stilted.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Disapproval' is a general, common term for not approving. 'Disapprobation' is a formal, stronger term implying moral or societal condemnation, often collective and authoritative.
No, it is a low-frequency, formal word. 'Disapproval', 'condemnation', or 'criticism' are far more common in everyday and most written contexts.
The direct verb form 'disapprobate' is extremely rare and considered obsolete or non-standard. The standard verb is 'disapprove'. The related adjective 'disapprobative' and adverb 'disapprobatively' are occasionally used in formal writing.
The direct and most formal opposite is 'approbation', meaning official approval or praise. Other antonyms include 'approval', 'praise', and 'endorsement'.
Strong moral or social disapproval.
Disapprobation is usually formal, literary in register.
Disapprobation: in British English it is pronounced /dɪsˌæp.rəˈbeɪ.ʃən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdɪs.æp.rəˈbeɪ.ʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A chorus of disapprobation”
- “To be in the doghouse (informal equivalent for strong social disapproval)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'DIS-APPROBATION'. It's the opposite of 'approbation' (approval). So it's strong DIS-approval.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISAPPROBATION IS A SOCIAL FORCE/A WEIGHT (to incur, to bear, to be under), DISAPPROBATION IS A VOICE/CHORUS (a chorus of, voice their).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'disapprobation' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?