Standard Lemma guide

imprimatur

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tə/
  • UK: /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmɑː.tə/
  • UK: /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmɑː.tʊə/
  • UK: /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tʊə/
  • UK: /ɪmˈpɹɪmətə/
  • US: /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmɑ.tɚ/
  • US: /ˌɪm.pɹɪˈmeɪ.tɚ/
  • US: /ɪmpɹɪˈmɑtʊɹ/
  • US: /ɪmˈpɹɪmətɚ/
  • US: /ɪmˈpɹɪmətʊɹ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 M P R IH0 M AA1 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An official license to publish or print something, especially when censorship applies.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: media, printing, publishing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any mark of official approval.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: approval, authorization, endorsement

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

formal and explicit approval

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a Democrat usually gets the union's endorsement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sanction, countenance, endorsement, indorsement, warrant

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: approval, commendation

Narrower terms: O.K., OK, okay, okey, okeh, visa, nihil obstat

History

Etymology

From Latin imprimātur (“let it be printed”), third person singular present subjunctive passive form of imprimere (“to imprint”).

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: julkaisulupa — official license to publish
  • Finnish: imprimatur — official license to publish
  • French: imprimatur — official license to publish
  • Hungarian: imprimatúra — official license to publish
  • Norwegian: imprimatur — official license to publish
  • Russian: са́нкция (sánkcija) — official license to publish
  • Russian: одобре́ние (odobrénije) — official license to publish
  • Russian: разреше́ние (razrešénije) — official license to publish
  • Spanish: imprimátur — official license to publish
  • Swedish: godkännande — official license to publish
  • Swedish: sanktion — official license to publish
  • Russian: са́нкция (sánkcija) — any mark of official approval
  • Russian: разреше́ние (razrešénije) — any mark of official approval
  • Russian: добро́ (dobró) — any mark of official approval
  • Swedish: sanktion — any mark of official approval