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”?

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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. )

Explanation

If something’s sanctioned it’s officially approved. Now that your mom has finally come around, watching football with your friends on Sunday is a sanctioned ritual. When something’s sanctioned, it’s been approved by an authority, like your mom or your school, or it follows established rules or traditions. Eating ham on Easter might be a sanctioned tradition in your family. The word can also be used to say that something has been approved or authorized in a legal sense. You may read about a sanctioned treaty that has been signed by all members of the United Nations.

Example Sentences

It is sanctioned by the US for Iran-related trade and many of its past trips to the Gulf had been to Iran, picking up Iranian bitumen and asphalt to ship to Asia.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The Rich Starry is listed by the United States' Office of Foreign Assets Control as being sanctioned for its ties to Iran.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a veteran security official, was sanctioned in 2023 by Canada for his role in Tehran’s drone program.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Ly Yong Phat, Try Pheap and Kok An are all wealthy and powerful figures who have been sanctioned overseas, yet continue to live comfortably in Cambodia.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Everything Mark had witnessed in the last week had been sanctioned by the acting government of the flare-inflicted world.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

Related Words

• accepted
• allowed
• approved
• licensed
• permitted