Meaning & use
rubber stamp
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A small block with a raised design or words, used with ink to print that design on paper.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a rubber stamp' or 'two rubber stamps'.
Patterns
- use a rubber stamp
- press a rubber stamp on something
The teacher used a rubber stamp to mark each child's work with a star.
I need a rubber stamp with the company address on it.
She collected the rubber stamps from the office drawer.
nounsingulardisapproving
A person or group that approves decisions automatically without careful thought, or such approval itself.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'a rubber stamp' to criticize an official body that does not really examine things.
Patterns
- be a rubber stamp for something
- act as a rubber stamp
The committee was accused of being a rubber stamp for the mayor's plans.
Critics say the parliament is just a rubber stamp and never blocks any law.
They wanted real debate, not a rubber stamp.
verbtransitivedisapproving
To approve something officially without giving it proper attention or discussion.
Grammar: Takes an object: rubber-stamp a proposal. Often used in the passive: the plan was rubber-stamped.
Patterns
- rubber-stamp something
- rubber-stamp a decision
The board rubber-stamped the budget in less than five minutes.
Managers should not rubber-stamp requests without checking the details.
The deal was rubber-stamped by the authorities last week.
Word forms
| plural | rubber stamps |
|---|---|
| third person singular | rubber-stamps |
| past tense | rubber-stamped |
| past participle | rubber-stamped |
| -ing form | rubber-stamping |
Common combinations
- rubber stamp something
- The manager rubber-stamped the invoice without reading it.
- a rubber stamp for something
- The agency was seen as a rubber stamp for the industry.
- use a rubber stamp
- Please use a rubber stamp to mark the date on each page.
- rubber-stamp a decision
- They rubber-stamped the decision at the end of the meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- seal
- A seal is an official mark or device, often made of metal or wax, and suggests more formality than a rubber stamp.
- approve
- Approve is a general verb meaning to agree to something; rubber-stamp specifically suggests doing so without careful thought.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: rubber stamp or rubber band?
rubber stamp vs rubber band
A rubber band is a thin loop of rubber used to hold things together; a rubber stamp is a tool for printing marks.
Practice
The council was criticized for being a ______ of the developer's plans, approving them without any discussion.
Choose one answer.
'Rubber stamp' fits because it describes a body that approves things automatically. 'Rubber band' is a loop for holding objects, 'rubber check' is a bounced check, and 'rubber sole' is part of a shoe, so none fit the context of automatic approval.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rubber stamp”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.