sanction

From Middle French sanction, from Latin sanctio.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæŋkʃən/

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• Rhymes: -æŋkʃən

sanction (countable and uncountable, plural sanctions)

1. An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.

   The whalers had been operating in the contested waters off the island with sanction from the Japanese government.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Truth of Presentiments”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 306:

     The idea that it was more comfortable in the house than out of it, did much towards reconciling his lordship. He felt positively glad that, as his wife had acted without his sanction, she should be subject to all possible inconvenience, as if such could be felt in Henrietta's state of mind.

2. A penalty, punishment, or some coercive measure, intended to ensure compliance; especially one adopted by several nations, or by an international body.

   The United States enacted a new round of sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa.

3. A law, treaty, or contract, or a clause within a law, treaty, or contract, specifying any of the above.

• pragmatic sanction

sanction (third-person singular simple present sanctions, present participle sanctioning, simple past and past participle sanctioned)

1. (transitive) To ratify; to make valid.
2. (transitive) To give official authorization or approval to; to countenance.
   • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.21:

     Many of the most earnest Protestants were business men, to whom lending money at interest was essential. Consequently first Calvin, and then other Protestant divines, sanctioned interest.

3. (transitive) To penalize (a state etc.) with sanctions.

• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Sanction”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes VIII, Part 2 (S–Sh), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 82, column 1.

• actinons, canonist, cantions, contains

From Latin sanctiōnem.

• IPA^(key): /sɑ̃k.sjɔ̃/

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sanction f (plural sanctions)

1. sanction

• “sanction”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.