sanction

[ sangk-shuhn ]

noun

1. authoritative permission or approval, as for an action.

   Synonyms: authorization

   Antonyms: prohibition, interdiction

2. something that serves to support an action, condition, etc.
3. something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc.
4. Law.
   1. a provision of a law enacting a penalty for disobedience or a reward for obedience.
   2. the penalty or reward.
5. International Law. action by one or more states toward another state calculated to force it to comply with legal obligations.

verb (used with object)

1. to authorize, approve, or allow:

   an expression now sanctioned by educated usage.

   Synonyms: permit

   Antonyms: deny

2. to ratify or confirm:

   to sanction a law.

3. to impose a sanction on; penalize, especially by way of discipline.

sanction

/ ˈsæŋkʃən /

noun

1. final permission; authorization
2. aid or encouragement
3. something, such as an ethical principle, that imparts binding force to a rule, oath, etc
4. the penalty laid down in a law for contravention of its provisions
5. often plural a coercive measure, esp one taken by one or more states against another guilty of violating international law

verb

1. to give authority to; permit
2. to make authorized; confirm

Derived Forms

• ˈsanctioner, noun
• ˈsanctionless, adjective
• ˈsanctionable, adjective

Other Words From

• sanc·tion·a·ble adjective
• sanc·tion·a·tive adjective
• sanc·tion·er noun
• sanc·tion·less adjective
• non·sanc·tion noun
• re·sanc·tion verb (used with object)
• su·per·sanc·tion verb (used with object) noun
• un·sanc·tion·a·ble adjective
• un·sanc·tion·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanction¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin sānctiōn- (stem of sānctiō ), equivalent to sānct(us) (past participle of sancīre “to prescribe by law”) + -iōn- noun suffix; -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanction¹

C16: from Latin sanctiō the establishment of an inviolable decree, from sancīre to decree

Example Sentences

The extremist settler who runs it, Zvi Bar Yosef, was sanctioned this year by the UK and other Western governments for repeated acts of violence against Palestinians, including twice threatening families at gunpoint.

From BBC

Neither Olmedo’s order nor the prosecution’s sanction motion mentioned the church in relation to the incidents with the jurors.

From Los Angeles Times

Furthermore, there is the problem of whether this will be sanctioned by World Rugby.

From BBC

So far, no decision has been made about potential sanctions, she said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

The governing body added: "The disciplinary committee has also fined the federation and warned them that more severe sanctions could be taken should similar incidents occur during future matches."

From BBC

Related Words

• ban
• boycott
• injunction
• penalty
• sentence

More About Sanction

What does sanction mean?

Sanction has two main senses that are almost opposites: it can refer to authorizing or approving something, or to penalizing or disciplining someone or something.

Sanction can be used as a verb (meaning to authorize or to penalize) or a noun (meaning approval or penalty). It is most commonly used in official contexts. As a noun referring to a penalty, it is especially applied to situations in which one country’s government imposes economic sanctions on another to try to force it to comply with laws or certain expectations.

Example: Economic sanctions are intended to force regimes to play by the rules, but they often end up hurting the average citizen.

Where does sanction come from?

The first records of sanction come from the 1500s. It is derived from the Latin sancīre, meaning “to decree” or “to prescribe by law.” Sancīre also means “to make holy” and is the root of words like sanctify and sanctuary.

Sanction originally referred to an official decree, but by the 1800s it had acquired its senses of both approval and punishment and had come to be used as both a verb and a noun. Today, sanction is commonly used in phrases like economic sanctions or international sanctions. A country might place sanctions (such as restrictions on trade and financial transactions) on another country as a penalty for violating international law or as a way of trying to force that country to adhere to certain laws or rules.

Sanction meaning “authorize” is also often used in the context of government actions, especially those officially approved by a top official, like the president. But it can be used for any official approval, such as by an organization that has sanctioned (certified) events to take place (these are often called sanctioned events).

Because it has meanings that are nearly the opposite of each other, sanction can be considered a contranym or a Janus word (a reference to the Roman god Janus, who is often shown with two heads facing opposite directions).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to sanction?

 

• sanctionable (adjective)
• sanctioner (noun)
• sanctionative (adjective)
• sanctionless (adjective)

What are some synonyms for sanction?

• allow
• authorize
• approve
• authorization
• approval
• restrict
• punish
• injunction
• penalty
• restriction

What are some words that share a root or word element with sanction? 

• sanctify
• sanctuary

What are some words that often get used in discussing sanction?

 

• economic
• international
• law
• official
• government
• event

How is sanction used in real life?

Sanction is perhaps most commonly used as a plural noun to refer to penalties levied by nations against other nations. It is also commonly used as a verb in the context of officially approving something.

The EU economic sanctions against #Russia have now been prolonged to 31 Jan 2018. #Ukraine #Crimea

— Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) June 28, 2017

U.S. sanctions Nicaragua police force over 'violent repression' https://t.co/oAnLRkcwjZ pic.twitter.com/CYKy27p5PJ

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 5, 2020

Kudos to the @wsl for taking a stand for equality and supporting their female athletes. As of 2019, male and female surfers will receive the same prize money at all World Surf League sanctioned events.#CatchThisWave

— Barry Tuck (@BarryTuck) September 6, 2018

 

 

Try using sanction!

Is sanction used correctly in the following sentence? 

I’m the top person in charge, and I never sanctioned this event, so it is not official.