Word
endorse
Phoneticsen·dorse, stress on the second syllable
US/ɛnˈdɔɹs/
UK/ɛndˈɔːs/
Definitions
01to support publicly
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to say publicly that you support a person, a product, or an idea.
v. to express formal or public approval of a person, policy, or product. Transitive — requires a direct object.
日本語:支持する※
“The famous athlete was paid millions to endorse the new brand of running shoes.”
“The committee refused to endorse the candidate until she clarified her position on the proposed environmental regulations.”
Usage
Often used in political and commercial contexts.
02to sign a document
C1 · Advanced Law Formal · Technical
v. to sign your name on the back of a cheque so it can be paid.
v. to sign one's name on the back of a cheque or other negotiable instrument to make it payable to another party.
“You must endorse the cheque on the back before the bank will cash it.”
“The solicitor advised his client to endorse the document immediately to facilitate the transfer of funds between the two accounts.”
Usage
In legal contexts, this refers specifically to the signature on the reverse side of a document.
Synonyms
03driving penalty
C2 · Proficiency Law British English · Formal
v. to record a driving offence on someone's official driving licence.
v. to record a conviction or penalty points on a driving licence. Transitive; typically used in the passive voice.
“His licence was endorsed with three penalty points for driving too fast.”
“The magistrate ordered the defendant's licence to be endorsed following the repeated traffic violations in the city centre.”
Usage
Primarily a British legal term; the noun form is 'endorsement'.
04to report a symptom
C2 · Proficiency Medicine Technical · Academic
v. to say that you have a specific medical symptom when a doctor asks.
v. to confirm the presence of a symptom or clinical finding during a medical assessment.
“The patient did not endorse any chest pain during the physical exam.”
“Although the subject endorsed mild fatigue, they denied any significant cognitive impairment during the initial screening phase.”
Teaching tip
This is highly specialised medical jargon; in everyday English, patients 'report' or 'have' symptoms.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “endorse” in context.
Verb
01. endorse the check on the back
“Please endorse the check on the back before you try to deposit it at the ATM.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
02. fail to endorse the policy
“Several committee members failed to endorse the policy, citing concerns over its long-term costs.”
verb + infinitive
03. refuse to endorse the statement
“The scientist refused to endorse the statement because the data was still inconclusive.”
verb + infinitive
Noun
04. celebrity endorsement of the brand
“The celebrity endorsement of the brand led to a significant spike in quarterly sales.”
noun + of + noun
05. ringing endorsement of his leadership
“The recent election results served as a ringing endorsement of his leadership style.”
adj + noun
Adverb
06. enthusiastically endorse the proposal
“The board of directors enthusiastically endorsed the proposal for the new merger.”
adv + verb
07. formally endorse the candidate
“The labor union is expected to formally endorse the candidate during the convention next week.”
adv + verb
08. wholeheartedly endorse the view
“I wholeheartedly endorse the view that education should be accessible to everyone.”
adv + verb
Real-World Examples
“India earlier distanced itself from the news conference – Hasina’s first since fleeing Bangladesh in 2024 , saying it had no role in organising it and would not endorse any political views voiced.” “Sarwar, who had led the party since 2021, declined to endorse a candidate during an Edinburgh Fringe event earlier this month.” Etymology
Alteration influenced by Medieval Latin indorsare of Middle English endosse, from Old French endosser (“to put on the back”), from Latin dossum, alternative form of dorsum (“back”), from which also dorsal (“of the back”). That is, the ‘r’ was dropped in Latin dossum, which developed into Old French and then Middle English endosse, and then the ‘r’ was re-introduced into English via the Medieval Latin indorsare, which had retained the ‘r’. Note that the alternative spelling indorse also uses the initial ‘i’ from Latin (in-, rather than en-), but this form is now rare.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/endorse
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0