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Synonyms

sanctioned

American  
[sangk-shuhnd] / ˈsæŋk ʃənd /

adjective

  1. authorized, approved, or allowed.

    Locke's main argument was that unlimited accumulation of wealth was moral, religiously sanctioned, and logical.

  2. officially or formally ratified or confirmed.

    The event is run exclusively in association with the National Franchise Association, so participating franchisees have all met the NFA-sanctioned code of ethics.

  3. penalized, especially by way of discipline or to force compliance with legal obligations.

    The embargo had no real impact—but how often have we ever seen a sanctioned political leader say, “OK, I guess I’ll give in now”?

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of sanction.

Other Word Forms

  • nonsanctioned adjective
  • quasi-sanctioned adjective
  • unsanctioned adjective
  • well-sanctioned adjective

Etymology

Origin of sanctioned

sanction ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.