Official approval is the act of granting permission or giving consent to an action. It can come in many forms, such as SANCTION, imprimatur, ENDORSEMENT, approval, and LICENSE. SANCTION is an official order or authorization to do something, usually given by a government or other authority. Imprimatur is a formal approval or LICENSE to publish or distribute a book or other work. ENDORSEMENT is a public or official statement of support for a person, policy, or cause. APPROBATION is an expression of approval or favorable opinion. Finally, a LICENSE is a legal document that grants permission to do something that would otherwise be illegal.