sanctioned
Americanadjective
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authorized, approved, or allowed.
Locke's main argument was that unlimited accumulation of wealth was moral, religiously sanctioned, and logical.
-
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.
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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”?
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sanctioned
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.
Vocabulary lists containing sanctioned
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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167 Vocabulary words from the Supreme Court's DOMA Decision
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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.
The bout, which Walton accepted at less than two weeks' notice after Cejudo's original opponent withdrew, has been sanctioned by the Florida State Commission and will count towards their professional records.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Treasury had earlier sanctioned Haokun and the importer for helping Iran sell oil to China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 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
“Binance has zero tolerance for sanctions violations or illicit activity, and Binance did not permit any transactions with sanctioned individuals,” the Binance spokesperson said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Now, perhaps sanctioned by a karmic wave of “in due time,” America is acknowledging Malcolm yet again.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
