sanction

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of final authorization

   it had the sanction of the church

2. 2
   noun

   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.

3. 3
   noun

   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.

4. 4
   verb

   To give official authorization or approval to; to countenance.

   The school's inaction further sanctions this misbehavior.

5. 5
   verb

   To penalize (a state etc.) with sanctions.

   The generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, can be duped into providing detailed advice on how to commit crimes — ranging from money laundering to the export of weapons to sanctioned countries — a tech startup found.

6. 6
   noun

   a mechanism of social control for enforcing a society's standards

7. 7
   noun

   official permission or approval

8. 8
   noun

   formal and explicit approval

Etymology

From Middle French sanction, from Latin sānctiō.