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sanction

/ˈsæŋkʃən/
IELTSAcademic
noun

Official permission or a penalty to enforce rules, depending on context.

  • The country will impose trade sanctions.
  • The plan lacks official sanction.
verb

To give official approval or to penalize.

  • The committee sanctioned the merger.
  • They refused to sanction the proposal.

Adinary Nuance

Near-neighbors: 'sanction' differs from 'approval' or 'ban'. Use 'sanction' for official authority or penalty, not general agreement. Choose 'ban' for a clear prohibition and 'approval' for positive acceptance.

In other languages

Spanish
Sanción / Permiso
Japanese
制裁 / 承認
Korean
제재 / 승인
Vietnamese
Trừng phạt / Phép
Chinese
制裁 / 批准

Common phrases

impose sanctionsunder sanctionsanction forsanction an action

Synonyms

approvalauthorizebanpenaltyallow

Related words

approvalpenaltybanpermissionreward

Frequently asked questions

Is sanction formal or informal?
Is sanction formal or informal?
What's the difference between sanction and approval?
What's the difference between sanction and approval?
How do I use sanction in a sentence?
How do I use sanction in a sentence?
Is sanction used in business writing?
Is sanction used in business writing?