The word 认可 is formed by combining two independent characters, each contributing a core meaning to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 认 (rèn), carries the fundamental idea of "to recognize" or "to acknowledge". The second character, 可 (kě), intrinsically means "to approve" or "to consider acceptable". Their combination is not merely additive but conceptually sequential: the act of recognizing (认) something logically leads to or results in a state of approving it (可), thus forming the complete meaning of "to endorse", "to give approval to", or "to accept as valid".