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sanction

SANK-shun /ˈsæŋkʃn/

nounverbC1GRESATUPSCCAT

formallegalpolitical

A threatened penalty for disobeying a law; or official permission/approval for an action.

In international affairs, it almost always refers to trade/economic penalties placed on target states.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'sancire', meaning to render sacred or bind by religious decree. Over time, 'sanction' came to mean the penalty ordained for breaking a holy law, and later broadened to official state approval or economic penalty.

Word relationships

penalty: Penalty refers to punishment in general, whereas sanction in international law implies state-imposed restrictions.
approval: Refers to the opposite definition of sanction (official endorsement).

reward: An incentive given for compliance.

Commonly confused with

embargo: An embargo is a specific total ban on trade, whereas sanctions can include targeted financial or travel restrictions.

Word family

sanctioned (adjective): Approved OR subjected to penalties depending on context.

Collocations

impose sanctions
lift sanctions
economic sanctions
sanction an action

Example sentences

"The Security Council voted to impose economic sanctions to compel compliance with peace terms." International politics
"The research protocol received official sanction from the institutional review board." Official authorization

Memory hook

SANCTION can mean STOP (penalty) or START (approval). Think of a border officer stamping a document. SANCTION can punish or permit.

When not to use

Be careful in context—clarify whether you mean 'penalty' or 'approval' to avoid contradiction.

Fun facts

Sanction is a famous 'auto-antonym' or 'Janus word'—a word that can mean its exact opposite depending on context.