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View synonyms for rubber stamp

rubber stamp

1

noun

  1. a device with a rubber printing surface that becomes coated with ink by being pressed on an ink-saturated pad, used for imprinting dates, addresses, standard designations or notices, etc., by hand.
  2. a person or government agency that gives approval automatically or routinely.
  3. such approval.


rubber-stamp

2

[ ruhb-er-stamp ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to imprint with a rubber stamp.
  2. to give approval automatically or without consideration:

    to rubber-stamp the president's proposals.

adjective

  1. tending to give approval automatically or without due consideration:

    a rubber-stamp Congress that passed all the president's bills.

rubber stamp

noun

  1. a device used for imprinting dates or commonly used phrases on forms, invoices, etc
  2. automatic authorization of a payment, proposal, etc, without challenge
  3. a person who makes such automatic authorizations; a cipher or person of little account
“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


verb

  1. to imprint (forms, invoices, etc) with a rubber stamp
  2. informal.
    to approve automatically
“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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of rubber stamp1

First recorded in 1885–90

Origin of rubber stamp2

First recorded in 1915–20; v. use of rubber stamp
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Idioms and Phrases

A person or organization that automatically approves or endorses a policy without assessing its merit; also, such an approval or endorsement. For example, The nominating committee is merely a rubber stamp; they approve anyone the chairman names , or The dean gave his rubber stamp to the recommendations of the tenure committee . This metaphoric term alludes to the rubber printing device used to imprint the same words over and over. [Early 1900s]
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Example Sentences

She said the commission had become “a rubber stamp” for utilities’ requests.

Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, said he didn’t understand the proposal, worrying that it would be a “rubber stamp” on proposed rate increases.

But what was supposed to be a mere rubber stamp has now turned into its possible perpetual shelving.

But when a Republican president occupies the White House, the 168 effectively act as a rubber stamp for the president’s wishes given his or her role as the undisputed head of the party.

“I would hate that today becomes a rubber stamp for a maintenance plan that says ‘trust us.’

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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.

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