sanction

American  

[sangk-shuhn] / ˈsæŋk ʃən /

noun

• sanctions
  plural

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)

• sanctions,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sanctioned,
  past participle,  past
• sanctioning
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sanctions
  plural

Participles

• sanctioning
  present
• sanctioned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sanction
  simple
• sanctions
  simple
• have sanctioned
  perfect
• has sanctioned
  perfect
• am sanctioning
  progressive
• are sanctioning
  progressive
• is sanctioning
  progressive
• have been sanctioning
  perfect progressive
• has been sanctioning
  perfect progressive

Past

• sanctioned
  simple
• had sanctioned
  perfect
• was sanctioning
  progressive
• were sanctioning
  progressive
• had been sanctioning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sanction
  simple
• will have sanctioned
  perfect
• will be sanctioning
  progressive
• will have been sanctioning
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

sanction sanctions sanctioned sanctioning

A spokesperson for Zanjani said he hasn’t “relied upon any cryptocurrency exchange for the purpose of money laundering or sanction evasion.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

As Europe moved to sanction Moscow, Germany placed under state trusteeship the local unit of Russian state-owned firm Rosneft, which holds a majority stake in the PCK Schwedt refinery.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

But Liverpool would only be willing to sanction the transfer if they can bring in one more attacking player, in addition to Bradley Barcola.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Hatton, McKibbin and Meronk are able to compete as DP World Tour members after accepting a deal that allowed them to play both tours without sanction this year.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

I found a sanction from our work, for I thought I had finally found my truest place in the culture.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the pain caused by the sanctions but stated that his nation would withstand the economic pressure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

A sanctions hearing could still be months away.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

That agreement promised to provide relief from sanctions on oil sales, grant access to Iran’s frozen assets and acknowledge a role for Tehran administering the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for opening the waterway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

No U.S. or international law sanctions such a thing.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

I was aware that the European Community and the States were inclined to relax sanctions based on Mr. de Klerk’s reforms.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

He has also been sanctioned by the UK and US governments.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

“The widespread, sanctioned introduction of multi-cancer detection tests for the average-risk population continues to be driven predominantly by hope, not by evidence.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

In another setback for Iran’s plans to bypass Hormuz, the country’s Mahan Air, which is sanctioned by the U.S., said Wednesday that it was suspending flights to Oman and Turkey, state-affiliated media in Tehran said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Two of Ballmer’s top executives were also sanctioned, altering the way the team will have to operate moving forward.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

On the other hand, the Constitution contained no provisions that specifically sanctioned slavery as a permanent and protected institution south of the Potomac or anywhere else.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Bessent said the U.S. was sanctioning more than 60 entities, individuals and vessels across the world that enable the regime to procure nuclear and missile technology, collect oil revenue and carry out cyber operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The UCI are a sanctioning authority of the race and take a fee from event organisers.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

In 2021, Colon was named an honorary WBC world champion by president of the sanctioning body Mauricio Sulaiman.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Management’s attention is shifting towards offence,” Kenny says, pointing to the sanctioning of its $1.2 billion Sustainable Aviation Fuel project, growing field gas throughput at Brazeau River Complex, and restarting Ram River in 2H.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

He declined it, in an indignant letter to the king, as "sanctioning an assassination," and was imprisoned for three months in a fortress for disobedience of orders.

From Paris From the Earliest Period to the Present Day; Volume 2 by William Walton

Related Words

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