Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

sanction

[sangk-shuhn]

Origin

noun

authoritative permission or approval, as for an action.

something that serves to support an action, condition, etc.

something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc.

Law.

a provision of a law enacting a penalty for disobedience or a reward for obedience.

the penalty or reward.

International Law. action by one or more states toward another state calculated to force it to comply with legal obligations.

verb (used with object)

to authorize, approve, or allow: an expression now sanctioned by educated usage.

to ratify or confirm: to sanction a law.

to impose a sanction on; penalize, especially by way of discipline.

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Sanction is a GRE word you need to know.

So is decorum. Does it mean:

crudely, presumptuously, or noisily self-assertive

dignified propriety of behavior, speech and dress; an observance or requirement of polite society

LEARN MORE GRE WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Origin:
1555–65; < Latin sānctiōn- (stem of sānctiō), equivalent to sānct(us) (past participle of sancīre to prescribe by law) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

sanc·tion·a·ble, adjective

sanc·tion·a·tive, adjective

sanc·tion·er, noun

sanc·tion·less, adjective

non·sanc·tion, noun

EXPAND

non·sanc·tioned, adjective

qua·si-sanc·tioned, adjective

re·sanc·tion, verb (used with object)

su·per·sanc·tion, verb (used with object), noun

un·sanc·tion·a·ble, adjective

un·sanc·tioned, adjective

un·sanc·tion·ing, adjective

well-sanc·tioned, adjective

COLLAPSE

Synonyms
6. permit.

Antonyms
1. disapproval. 6. disapprove.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To sanction

Collins

World English Dictionary

sanction (ˈsæŋkʃən)

—n
1.	final permission; authorization
2.	aid or encouragement
3.	something, such as an ethical principle, that imparts binding force to a rule, oath, etc
4.	the penalty laid down in a law for contravention of its provisions
5.	(often plural) a coercive measure, esp one taken by one or more states against another guilty of violating international law

—vb
6.	to give authority to; permit
7.	to make authorized; confirm

[C16: from Latin sanctiō the establishment of an inviolable decree, from sancīre to decree]

'sanctionable

—*adj*

'sanctioner

—n

'sanctionless

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

sanction

1563, "confirmation or enactment of a law," from L. sanctionem (nom. sanctio) "act of decreeing or ordaining," also "decree, ordinance," from sanctus, pp. of sancire "to decree, confirm, ratify, make sacred" (see saint). Originally especially of ecclesiastical decrees. The

EXPAND

verb sense of "to permit authoritatively" is from 1797. Sanctions, in international diplomacy, first recorded 1919, from sanction (n.) in the sense of "part or clause of a law which spells out the penalty for breaking it" (1651).

COLLAPSE

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

sanction

in the social sciences, a reaction (or the threat or promise of a reaction) by members of a social group indicating approval or disapproval of a mode of conduct and serving to enforce behavioral standards of the group. Punishment (negative sanction) and reward (positive sanction) regulate conduct in conformity with social norms (see norm). Sanctions may be diffuse-i.e., spontaneous expressions by members of the group acting as individuals-or they may be organized-i.e., actions that follow traditional and recognized procedures. Sanctions therefore include not only the organized punishments of law but also the formal rewards (e.g., honours and titles) and the informal scorn or esteem by members of a community

Learn more about sanction with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source

Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com

Searching for sanction?
How many words do you actually know?

FIND OUT

approval approve authoritative authorization authorize backing

Matching Quote

"To say that authority, whether secular or religious, supplies no ground for morality is not to deny the obvious fact that it supplies a sanction."

-A.J. Ayer, Sir

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help