Home › Business › Globalization & Trade › sanction

sanction

SANK-shun /ˈsæŋkʃən/

nounverbC1GREUPSCSAT

formallegal

A threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule; in trade, official measures taken by a nation to coerce another nation into changing its behavior.

A 'contronym'—it can mean to penalize (negative) or to give official permission (positive). In trade, it is almost always negative.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'sanctio', which meant an enactment or a decree. It comes from 'sanctus' (holy), because laws were originally seen as sacred and the penalties for breaking them were divinely ordained.

Word relationships

penalty: A penalty is a general punishment; a sanction is a formal, often international, legal measure.

reward: Giving something positive for good behavior.

Commonly confused with

embargo: An embargo is a total ban on trade; a sanction can be smaller, like freezing bank accounts or banning specific goods.

Collocations

economic sanctions
impose sanctions
lift sanctions

Example sentences

"The European Union imposed a new round of economic sanctions on the country following the border dispute." Geopolitics
"The board of directors must sanction any major changes to the company's investment strategy." Legal permission

Memory hook

If you break the law, the government will 'Sank' (sink) your 'Shun' (action). Penalty or Permission.

When not to use

Be careful with the double meaning. In a business contract, 'sanctioned' might mean 'approved'. In international news, it always means 'punished'.

Fun facts

Sanctions are often called 'the middle ground' between diplomacy and war.

Related words

embargo, protectionism

Explore more words

authorize, censure, embargo, oversight, enforcement, punitive