endorse

American  

[en-dawrs] / ɛnˈdɔrs /

verb (used with object)

endorsed, endorsing

1. to approve, support, or sustain.

   to endorse a political candidate.

   Synonyms:

   second, back, sustain, uphold, ratify, sanction

2. to designate oneself as payee of (a check) by signing, usually on the reverse side of the instrument.

3. to sign one's name on (a commercial document or other instrument).

4. to make over (a stated amount) to another as payee by one's endorsement.

5. to write (something) on the back of a document, paper, etc..

   to endorse instructions; to endorse one's signature.

6. to acknowledge (payment) by placing one's signature on a bill, draft, etc.

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noun

1. Heraldry. a narrow pale, about one quarter the usual width and usually repeated several times.

endorse British  

/ ɪnˈdɔːs /

verb

1. to give approval or sanction to

2. to sign (one's name) on the back of (a cheque, etc) to specify oneself as payee

3. commerce

   1. to sign the back of (a negotiable document) to transfer ownership of the rights to a specified payee

   2. to specify (a designated sum) as transferable to another as payee

4. to write (a qualifying comment, recommendation, etc) on the back of a document

5. to sign (a document), as when confirming receipt of payment

6. to record (a conviction) on (a driving licence)

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Other Word Forms

• endorsable adjective
• endorser noun
• endorsingly adverb
• endorsive adjective
• endorsor noun
• preendorse verb (used with object)
• reendorse verb (used with object)
• subendorse verb (used with object)
• superendorse verb (used with object)
• unendorsable adjective
• unendorsed adjective
• well-endorsed adjective

Etymology

Origin of endorse

First recorded in 1350–1400; variant (with en- for in- ) of earlier indorse, from Medieval Latin indorsāre “to endorse,” equivalent to Latin in- in- ² + -dorsāre, derivative of dorsum “back”; replacing endoss, Middle English endossen, from Old French endosser, equivalent to en- en- ¹ + -dosser, derivative of dos, from Latin dorsum

Explanation

To endorse is to give support to someone or something. "I endorse this!" means "I think this is a good thing, and so should you." People endorse in many ways. When someone endorses a politician, it means "You should vote for this person, and I'm putting my reputation on the line to say so." When someone endorses a product in a commercial, it means "Go buy this! You'll like it." To endorse is to give support. You can also endorse a check, which means writing your name or someone else's on the back so that you or the other person can cash or deposit it.

Example Sentences

Yee said she would assess the field before making an announcement on whether she would endorse one of her fellow Democrats.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

Greene chose not to endorse Fuller, the Republican.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

If the process had been reopened, the group would have then voted on whether to endorse Raman, Huang or neither.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as you can imagine, doesn’t endorse “Mormon Wives” for many reasons.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

In the space of a single productive minute, therefore, he might endorse twenty separate documents each advising him to pay absolutely no attention to any of the others.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

• advocate
• affirm
• approve
• back
• commend
• confirm
• defend
• favor
• okay
• praise
• ratify
• recommend
• sanction
• uphold