An imprimatur is a formal declaration by an ecclesiastical authority, most commonly a Roman Catholic bishop or his delegate, that a book or other publication has been examined and found free of doctrinal or moral error, and may therefore be printed. The term derives from the Latin word meaning “let it be printed.” An imprimatur is typically granted only after a separate review known as the Nihil Obstat, in which a censor appointed by the diocese certifies that the work contains nothing objectionable to faith or morals. The two notices are usually printed together at the front of the work, along with the names of the censor and the granting bishop.

The imprimatur applies most directly to Catholic publishing practice, though related systems of pre-publication ecclesiastical review existed historically in other Christian traditions and in some non-religious contexts, such as state licensing of the press. Contested interpretations of the imprimatur's scope, authority, and continuing relevance are addressed briefly below and treated fully on linked pages.

In current Catholic canon law, an imprimatur is required for certain categories of publication, including translations of Scripture, catechisms, liturgical texts, and theological works intended for use in schools, as well as books concerning faith and morals more broadly. The requirement is codified in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, which revised and narrowed the older, more expansive licensing system that had operated for centuries in conjunction with the Index of Forbidden Books. The Index, which formally listed publications Catholics were forbidden to read without permission, was abolished in 1966; the imprimatur and nihil-obstat system, by contrast, continues to operate, though its current scope and the consistency of its enforcement vary by diocese.

An imprimatur is understood within Catholic teaching to indicate the absence of doctrinal or moral error, not an endorsement of a work's literary quality, factual accuracy on non-theological matters, or every opinion expressed by its author. The precise weight an imprimatur should carry today-given uneven application, instances of withdrawal after initial grant, and debate over the system's purpose in an era without comprehensive print licensing-is a matter of ongoing discussion, addressed further in the Viewpoints and Controversies sections below.

For the longer institutional background, including the system's origins in the Counter-Reformation and its evolution through the twentieth century, see imprimatur-history.

• Traditional necessity view: Holds that the imprimatur system remains a necessary and valuable safeguard for the doctrinal integrity of Catholic publishing, particularly for catechetical and liturgical works, and should be applied more rigorously and consistently than it currently is. See imprimatur-traditional-necessity-viewpoint.
• Reformist/minimalist view: Holds that the system, while not without value, has become inconsistently administered and of limited practical effect, and argues for either reform of enforcement mechanisms or a narrowing of the categories of work requiring review. See imprimatur-reformist-viewpoint.
• Critical/free-inquiry view: Holds that formal pre-publication doctrinal review, regardless of its canonical limits, exerts a chilling effect on theological scholarship and should be abolished or replaced with post-publication mechanisms such as peer review or ecclesiastical correction after the fact. See imprimatur-free-inquiry-viewpoint.
• Secular-historical view: Treats the imprimatur primarily as a historical artifact of pre-modern print regulation, comparable to state licensing systems in early modern Europe, with limited contemporary relevance outside internal Catholic administration. See imprimatur-secular-historical-viewpoint.

• Disputes have arisen over individual cases in which an imprimatur was granted and subsequently withdrawn or publicly disputed by other bishops, raising questions about the consistency of diocesan review; see imprimatur-withdrawal-cases-controversy.
• The relationship between the historical Index of Forbidden Books and the imprimatur system has itself been a subject of historical and theological dispute regarding the proper interpretation of the Church's record on censorship; see imprimatur-index-relationship-controversy.

• History: imprimatur-history
• Viewpoint Debate: imprimatur-traditional-necessity-vs-free-inquiry-debate
• Debate: imprimatur-contemporary-relevance-debate
• Related Main Topics: Nihil Obstat, Index of Forbidden Books, Censorship, canon-law

1. Code of Canon Law, cann. 823, 824, 827, 830 (1983).
2. John A. Hardon, *Modern Catholic Dictionary* (New York: Doubleday, 1980), s.v. “Imprimatur.”
3. Francis J. Coppa, ed., *Encyclopedia of Modern Catholic History* (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001), s.v. “Index of Forbidden Books.”
4. Peter Godman, *The Saint as Censor: Robert Bellarmine between Inquisition and Index* (Leiden: Brill, 2000).