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sanction definition

sanc·tion (saŋk′s̸hən)

noun

  1. the act of a recognized authority confirming or ratifying an action; authorized approval or permission
  2. support; encouragement; approval
  3. something that gives binding force to a law, or secures obedience to it, as the penalty for breaking it, or a reward for carrying it out
  4. something, as a moral principle or influence, that makes a rule of conduct, a law, etc. binding
  5. : often used in pl.
    1. a coercive measure, as a blockade of shipping, usually taken by several nations together, for forcing a nation considered to have violated international law to end the violation
    2. a coercive measure, as a boycott, taken by a group to enforce demands
  6. Obsolete a formal decree; law

Etymology: < Fr or L: Fr < L sanctio < sanctus: see saint

transitive verb

to give sanction to; specif.,
  1. to ratify or confirm
  2. to authorize or permit; countenance

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

finance sanction definition - finance

law sanction definition - legal

sanction Synonyms

sanction

n.

  1. Approval

    consent, acquiescence, assent; see permission.

  2. A coercive measure

    decree, command, writ, sentence, ban, embargo, injunction, loss of reward, penalty, punishment, punitive sanctions, civil sanctions, remuneratory sanctions.


sanction

v.

confirm, authorize, countenance; see allow 1, approve 1, 2, endorse 2. See syn. study at approve.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

sanction Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • impose: Iraq had a right to impose sanctions too, you know.

Adjective modifier

  • un: Saddam meetings Galloway, who was a vocal critic of UN sanctions against Iraq, met Saddam during visits to Baghdad in the 1990s.

Modifies a noun

  • detection: What measures were being undertaken to reduce the sanction detection rate for homophobic crime?

Noun used with modifier

  • trade: Baghdad is under United Nations ' trade sanctions following its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Preposition: for

  • non-compliance: Sanctions for non-compliance with these regulations are detailed in Section 10.
sanction usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

sanction quotes

I yield to no one in my devotion to this great League of Nations, but not even for this will I destroy that smaller but older league of which my own country was the birthplace, and of which it remains the centre† Beware how you so draw tight the bonds, how you so pile obligation on obligation and sanction on sanction, lest at last you find that you are not living nations but dead states.

-Chamberlain, Sir (Joseph) Austen

sanction quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"sanction." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/sanction>

APA Style

sanction. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/sanction

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