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nihil obstat

American  
[nahy-hil ob-stat, nee-] / ˈnaɪ hɪl ˈɒb stæt, ˈni- /

noun

Roman Catholic Church.

  1. permission to publish a book, granted by an official censor who, upon examining it, has certified that it contains nothing contrary to faith or morals.

nihil obstat British  
/ ˈɒbstæt /

  1. the phrase used by a Roman Catholic censor to declare publication inoffensive to faith or morals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nihil obstat

1885–90; < Latin: literally, nothing stands in the way

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.