Endorse

Question

Hi.
"The handbook has been endorsed by the Healthcare Commission, National Institute for
Clinical Excellence (NICE), the Clinical Governance Support Team (CGST) and the
National Audit and Governance Group (NAGG)."

Why did't it say
"The handbook has been approved by the Healthcare Commission, National Institute for
Clinical Excellence (NICE), the Clinical Governance Support Team (CGST) and the
National Audit and Governance Group (NAGG)."

Vorpar · Accepted Answer

"Has been approved" has the connotation that something is made official. As an example, the FDA in the United States can approve a drug for sale. Without the FDA's approval, the drug can't be sold.

An endorsement is unofficial in this way. You can also use "approval", which in this context would be similar to an endorsement. "The handbook has been given approvals by..."

JohnParis · Answer

For what it's worth, I found the following usage note in the Oxford dictionary.
I'm not certain it improves upon Vorpar's excellent reply.

THE RIGHT WORD
There are a number of ways to show your support for something. The most general way is to approve it, a term that covers everything from simple, technical agreement (: to approve the plan) to enthusiastic support (: she was quick to approve her son's decision to marry).
Endorse implies a more public and official expression of support and is used primarily in reference to things that require promotion or publicity (: endorse a political candidate), while commend is to make a formal and usually public statement of approval or congratulation (: he was commended for his heroism).
Sanction, certify, and ratify imply that approval is not only official but that it makes something legal. To sanction is not only to approve but to authorize (: school authorities would not sanction the wearing of hats in class), while certify implies conformity with certain standards (: certified to teach in the State of New York).
Ratify is usually confined to only the most official and authoritative settings. For example, an employer might sanction the idea of hiring a woman to perform a job that only men have performed in the past, and the woman in question might have to certify that she possesses the necessary training and qualifications. But to ratify a constitutional amendment granting equal rights to women requires a lengthy set of legislative procedures.

Endorse

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