sanction
noun
authoritative permission or approval, as for an action.
had sanctioned
-
past perfectof sanction.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Australia said on Friday it had sanctioned two North Korean individuals and companies over the use of "fraudulent" IT workers and cybercrime to earn cash for the isolated nuclear-armed state.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Prosecutor Kyle Wirshba argued that the government had sanctioned Venezuela for national security reasons, and that Maduro and his wife could be represented by court-appointed lawyers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
Gil Garcetti in 1993, they presented it as a chance to undo the injustice his predecessors had sanctioned two decades earlier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2025
When asked about Saudi Arabia's human rights record Westwood said he believed the country was trying to change, adding that the PGA and European Tours had sanctioned events in the country before.
From BBC ● May 4, 2022
What an embarrassment in her own backyard, as if she, Dede, had sanctioned all this.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
