sanction

[ sangk-shuhn ]

/ ˈsæŋk ʃən /

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noun

authoritative permission or approval, as for an action.

something that serves to support an action, condition, etc.

something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc.

Law.

a provision of a law enacting a penalty for disobedience or a reward for obedience.
the penalty or reward.

International Law. action by one or more states toward another state calculated to force it to comply with legal obligations.

verb (used with object)

to authorize, approve, or allow: an expression now sanctioned by educated usage.

to ratify or confirm: to sanction a law.

to impose a sanction on; penalize, especially by way of discipline.

Nearby words

Origin of sanction

1555–65; < Latin sānctiōn- (stem of sānctiō), equivalent to sānct(us) (past participle of sancīre to prescribe by law) + -iōn- -ion

SYNONYMS FOR sanction

6. permit.

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ANTONYMS FOR sanction

1. disapproval. 6. disapprove.

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Related forms

sanc·tion·a·ble, adjectivesanc·tion·a·tive, adjectivesanc·tion·er, nounsanc·tion·less, adjective

non·sanc·tion, nounnon·sanc·tioned, adjectivequa·si-sanc·tioned, adjectivere·sanc·tion, verb (used with object)su·per·sanc·tion, verb (used with object), nounun·sanc·tion·a·ble, adjectiveun·sanc·tioned, adjectiveun·sanc·tion·ing, adjectivewell-sanc·tioned, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sanctioned

The Moscow protest was not sanctioned, which meant every participant risked arrest.
Russia’s Rebel In Chief Escapes House Arrest|Anna Nemtsova|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Before Cuba was shunned and sanctioned, it was a handy place for the randy.
Will Hyman Roth Return to Havana With Normalized Relations?|John L. Smith|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In FDA sanctioned studies using MDMA-assisted therapy to treat veterans with PTSD, the success rate has been astounding.
Psychedelics Are Ready for a Comeback|Abby Haglage|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But in federal court, if you pursue an “objectively baseless” claim, you can be sanctioned by the court (PDF) under Rule 11.
Obama Should Counter John Boehner’s Lawsuit—and Here’s How He Can Do It|Dean Obeidallah|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Cardin said Tuesday he was not sure yet if Bastrykin was sanctioned secretly by the administration.
Obama Targets Russian Mob Boss|Josh Rogin|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cromwell must have sanctioned this, if he did not encourage it.
An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800|Mary Frances Cusack
Judge for yourselves whether he sanctioned such a system of oppression and crime.
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus|American Anti-Slavery Society
The engagement had been sanctioned officially by Mrs Bathurst.
The Pagan's Cup|Fergus Hume
Let these bachelor customs of yours be sanctioned as entirely suitable—then we should be able to join issue with you.
Three Comedies|Bjrnstjerne M. Bjrnson
This rule, then, is founded in the nature of things, and sanctioned by good usage.
English Grammar in Familiar Lectures|Samuel Kirkham

British Dictionary definitions for sanctioned

sanction

/ (ˈsæŋkʃən) /

noun

final permission; authorization

aid or encouragement

something, such as an ethical principle, that imparts binding force to a rule, oath, etc

the penalty laid down in a law for contravention of its provisions

(often plural) a coercive measure, esp one taken by one or more states against another guilty of violating international law

verb (tr)

to give authority to; permit

to make authorized; confirm

Derived Formssanctionable, adjectivesanctioner, nounsanctionless, adjective

Word Origin for sanction

C16: from Latin sanctiō the establishment of an inviolable decree, from sancīre to decree

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sanctioned

sanction

early 15c., "confirmation or enactment of a law," from Latin sanctionem (nominative sanctio) "act of decreeing or ordaining," also "decree, ordinance," noun of action from past participle stem of sancire "to decree, confirm, ratify, make sacred" (see saint (n.)). Originally especially of ecclesiastical decrees.

sanction

1778, "confirm by sanction, make valid or binding;" 1797 as "to permit authoritatively;" from sanction (n.). Seemingly contradictory meaning "impose a penalty on" is from 1956 but is rooted in an old legalistic sense of the noun. Related: Sanctioned; sanctioning.

sanction

noun

verb (used with object)

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Origin of sanction

Examples from the Web for sanctioned

sanction

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for sanction

sanction

sanction