sanction

American  

[sangk-shuhn] / ˈsæŋk ʃən /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to give authority to; permit

2. to make authorized; confirm

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonsanction
  noun
• resanction
  verb (used with object)
• sanctionable
  adjective
• sanctionative
  adjective
• sanctioner
  noun
• sanctionless
  adjective
• supersanction
  verb (used with object)
• unsanctionable
  adjective
• unsanctioning
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sanction

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; see -ion

Explanation

Sanction has two nearly opposite meanings: to sanction can be to approve of something, but it can also mean to punish, or speak harshly to. Likewise, a sanction can be a punishment or approval. Very confusing — the person who invented this word should be publicly sanctioned! See if you can guess the meaning of sanction in the following contexts. Before invading Iraq, the U.S. and its allies first imposed sanctions on the country, refusing to supply the country with much-needed trade items. Did you guess that sanction = "punishment"? You were right! But by trading with China at the same time, the U.S. quietly sanctioned that nation's known instances of human rights abuses. Did you guess that sanction = "approval"? You're right again!

Example Sentences

Appeared in the May 5, 2026, print edition as 'California Moves to Sanction State Farm Over Wildfires'.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Sanction worries have driven some independent refiners known as teapots, once a dynamic group of customers consuming about a third of China's Russian oil imports, to fly under the radar.

From Reuters • Apr. 6, 2022

Sanction rules leave exceptions for legal representation on matters that do not facilitate sanctioned conduct and, of course, there are still many Russian companies not on the sanctions list.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2022

Jurkowski also made several social media posts regarding the Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement, as well as Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

From Fox News • Dec. 23, 2021

The Pragmatic Sanction dealt in the main with four subjects—the authority of church councils, the diminishing of papal patronage, the restriction of papal taxation, and the limitation of appeals to Rome.

From A Source Book of Medi?val History Documents Illustrative of European Life and Institutions from the German Invasions to the Renaissance by Ogg, Frederic Austin

Related Words

• accredit
• allow
• approve
• certify
• empower
• endorse
• permit
• ratify
• warrant