Underapproved

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not having received enough official approval or acceptance to be fully authorized
2. Lacking proper authorization or endorsement as required for official sanction
3. Having inadequate approval or acceptance, indicating that something is not yet fully sanctioned

Etymology: "Underapproved" is a plain English formation: the prefix "under-" (meaning insufficiently or below a required level) attached to "approved," the past participle of "approve." "Approve" entered English in the 14th century through Old French "aprover," from Latin "approbare," meaning to test or commend as good, which in turn was built from "ad-" (to) and "probare" (to test, prove). The root "probare" also gives English "probe" and "probable," so an approved item has, in origin, been tested and found acceptable. "Under-" has been productive in English since Old English, and it is used in this sense to mark something that falls short of a required standard, as in "underfunded" or "understaffed." Adjectives built this way are typically coined when a formal process is being described, so "underapproved" is most often found in administrative, regulatory or technical writing, where it names a status rather than a shortcoming of quality.

Synonyms: disapproved, not approved, rejected

Antonyms: approved, accepted