The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Approve \Ap*prove"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Approved; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Approving.] [OE. aproven, appreven, to prove, OF.
   aprover, F. approuver, to approve, fr. L. approbare; ad +
   probare to esteem as good, approve, prove. See Prove, and
   cf. Approbate.]
   1. To show to be real or true; to prove. [Obs.]
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            Wouldst thou approve thy constancy? Approve
            First thy obedience.                  --Milton.
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   2. To make proof of; to demonstrate; to prove or show
      practically.
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            Opportunities to approve . . . worth. --Emerson.
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            He had approved himself a great warrior. --Macaulay.
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            'T is an old lesson; Time approves it true. --Byron.
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            His account . . . approves him a man of thought.
                                                  --Parkman.
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   3. To sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm; as, to
      approve the decision of a court-martial.
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   4. To regard as good; to commend; to be pleased with; to
      think well of; as, we approve the measured of the
      administration.
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   5. To make or show to be worthy of approbation or acceptance.
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            The first care and concern must be to approve
            himself to God.                       --Rogers.
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   Note: This word, when it signifies to be pleased with, to
         think favorably (of), is often followed by of.
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               They had not approved of the deposition of James.
                                                  --Macaulay.
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               They approved of the political institutions. --W.
                                                  Black.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

approved
    adj 1: established by authority; given authoritative approval;
           "a list of approved candidates" [syn: approved,
           sanctioned]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

96 Moby Thesaurus words for "approved":
   Christian, accepted, acclaimed, acknowledged, admired, admitted,
   adopted, advocated, affirmed, allowed, applauded, appointed,
   authentic, authenticated, authoritative, avowed, backed,
   being done, canonical, carried, cathedral, certified, chosen,
   comme il faut, conceded, confessed, confirmed, conformable,
   conventional, correct, countersigned, cried up, customary,
   de rigueur, decent, decorous, designated, elect, elected,
   elected by acclamation, embraced, endorsed, espoused, evangelical,
   ex cathedra, faithful, favored, favorite, firm, formal, granted,
   handpicked, highly touted, in good odor, literal, magisterial,
   meet, named, nominated, notarized, of the faith, official,
   orthodox, orthodoxical, passed, picked, popular, professed, proper,
   ratified, received, recognized, recommended, right, scriptural,
   sealed, seemly, select, selected, signed, sound, stamped, standard,
   supported, sworn and affirmed, sworn to, textual, traditional,
   traditionalistic, true, true-blue, unanimously elected,
   underwritten, validated, warranted, well-thought-of