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

Go with him inside this covert maritime network to see how the trade in sanctioned Iranian oil continues thousands of miles from the Persian Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The SDA has been sanctioned by the United States, European Union and the United Kingdom for information warfare campaigns.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

On Friday, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel decided Hopper's fitness to practise had been impaired in relation to his convictions and sanctioned him to removal from the medical register.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Meanwhile, the US Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned Iran's newly formed "Persian Gulf Strait Authority", set up by Tehran to oversee traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Twenty states rewarded individual schools for good test scores or dramatic improvement; thirty-two states sanctioned the schools that didn’t do well.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Related Words

• accepted
• allowed
• approved
• licensed
• permitted