What does “sanction” mean?
- 1
nounan official order limiting trade or contact with a country, as a punishment
The UN imposed sanctions on the regime.
- 2
nounofficial permission or approval for an action
The trip had the sanction of the school board.
- 3
verbto officially allow or approve something
The council refused to sanction the new building.
Sanction at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & verb
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈsæŋkʃən/ · SANGK-shun
How to use “sanction” correctly
A classic exam trap: “sanction” can mean both a penalty and approval. The plural noun usually means penalties.
Common phrases with “sanction”
- impose sanctions
- lift sanctions
- economic sanctions
- officially sanctioned
“sanction” is on these word lists
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