endorse
This term carries a strong sense of official validation, whether it is a celebrity lending their reputation to a product or a governing body sanctioning a policy. It implies a public transfer of trust or authority from the endorser to the object being endorsed. In financial and legal contexts, the word shifts from a gesture of support to a technical requirement of authentication. The act of signing a document to transfer ownership or verify a transaction is a precise administrative action, devoid of the emotional or promotional weight found in its social usage.
Meanings
To publicly declare one's support for a person, policy, or product, often as a celebrity or official figure.
"The famous athlete was paid to endorse the new line of sneakers."
To sign the back of a check or other financial document to make it payable to another person or to allow it to be cashed.
"You must endorse the check before the bank will process the deposit."