Definition of Sanction

Verb: sanction  sangk-shun

  1. Give permission or approval for something
    "I will sanction his educational policies";
    - approve, O.K., okay, OK
     
  2. Give authority or permission to
     
  3. Give religious sanction to, such as through an oath
     
  4. Impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on
    - punish, penalize, penalise [Brit]
Noun: sanction  sangk-shun
  1. Formal and explicit approval
    "a Democrat usually gets the union's sanction";
    - countenance, endorsement, indorsement, warrant, imprimatur
     
  2. A mechanism of social control for enforcing a society's standards
     
  3. Official permission or approval
    "sanction for the program was renewed several times";
    - authority, authorization, authorisation [Brit], clearance
     
  4. The act of final authorization
    "it had the sanction of the church"
     
  5. Something (e.g. imprisonment or paying a fine) someone is made to do to compensate for a wrongdoing, especially for crime; the act of punishing
    - punishment, penalty, penalization, penalisation [Brit]

See also:
sanctimony
sanctionable

Anagrams containing the word sanction

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