Make Your Point > Archived Issues > IMPRIMATUR

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explore the archives: An imprimatur is someone's official, formal support or approval. Something that bears the imprimatur of a prestigious person or group automatically carries c___et: that is, an aura of importance and success that inspires respect and admiration. (Hint: that final "t" in the word is silent.) make your point with... "IMPRIMATUR" This word is Latin for "let it be printed." A literal imprimatur is an official license to print books. Figuratively, an imprimatur is a mark of someone's official support or approval, or simply someone's public, official support and approval. Pronunciation: Many ways are accepted. I prefer "im prim OT er" (rhymes with "in the water"). If you guessed that this word is pronounced "im PRIM uh tur," please note that this is NOT one of the accepted pronunciations. Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about an imprimatur or the imprimatur. You don't usually make it plural.) Other forms: The plural is "imprimaturs" but is rare. How to use it: Talk about one thing bearing, carrying, having, earning, receiving, seeking, striving for, or losing the imprimatur of a person or group. Something can operate under or with (or without) someone's imprimatur. A person or group can also award, give, or grant their imprimatur to something, confer their imprimatur on something, stamp something with their imprimatur, etc. For example, a student organization might seek the imprimatur of the university, a corporation might bear the imprimatur of a branch of the government, a documentary might earn the imprimatur of a major television channel, and so on. examples: Okay, so the novel has Oprah's imprimatur, which is great. But that's not the reason we read it. Because the study bears the imprimatur of a top university, it'll pretty much automatically make its rounds through the news media. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "imprimatur" means when you can explain it without saying "stamp of approval" or "sanction." try it out: Think of a time you noticed that a celebrity had endorsed a product for sale, and fill in the blanks: "Apparently (a certain famous person) gave (his/her) imprimatur to (a certain product)." Example: "In 2001, I recall being somewhat unsettled by Britney Spears giving her imprimatur to Pepsi." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Well-Named Creatures: Some names for animals and other creatures define themselves instantly or after a brief moment’s thought: anteater, grasshopper, hummingbird, seahorse, octopus (eight-foot). But other names deserve some exploration; they hold hidden clues about what the animals look like or what they do. And sometimes the names reveal how baffled people were when they first caught a glimpse of the creatures and tried to name them. This month, I’ll give you the literal meaning of a creature's name, and you come up with what it is. Answers will appear in alphabetical order this month. (Oh, and the answers might be animals, birds, insects, or even extinct creatures.) Enjoy! From yesterday: A "covering lizard" (or "roof lizard") is a s______. Answer: It's a stegosaurus, whose name makes sense when you check out those plates on their backs that look like roof tiles.  Try this last one today: A "three-horned face" is a t______. review today's word: 1. The opposite of IMPRIMATUR is A. CONDEMNATION B. DESTRUCTION C. APPROBATION 2.  Merriam-Webster.com, naturally, is more reluctant than UrbanDictionary.com to bestow its imprimatur on _____. A. an online ad campaign B. a political candidate C. a new slang word Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C