sanction

sanction — noun

1. an official measure taken by one or more countries to limit trade, financial dea

1.nounB2
Definition

an official measure taken by one or more countries to limit trade, financial dealings, or diplomatic relations with another nation, usually to force it to obey international law

Example

The UN imposed sanctions on the nation after it refused to halt its weapons program.

collocation: impose sanctions on [country]

Several nations agreed to lift sanctions after the government allowed aid into the region.

Common collocations
  • impose sanctions on
  • lift sanctions on
  • economic sanctions
  • trade sanctions
  • stricter sanctions
  • sanctions against
Synonyms
  • embargo

    narrower — specifically a ban on trade in certain goods, not the full range of financial/diplomatic measures

  • restriction

    more general; not limited to international law enforcement

Antonyms
  • aid

    financial or material assistance, opposite of punitive restriction

Grammar Patterns

impose sanctions on [country]

lift/ease sanctions on [country]

Usage Note

Frequently used with impose, lift, ease, or tighten. Subject is typically a government, international body (UN, EU), or coalition of countries. The plural sanctions is the standard form in this sense.

Common Mistakes

The US made sanction on Iran.
The US imposed sanctions on Iran.
sanction is rarely used as a singular count noun in this international sense; the plural form sanctions is standard.

2. a penalty or coercive action that authorities apply to individuals or groups who

2.nounB2
Definition

a penalty or coercive action that authorities apply to individuals or groups who break a legal or institutional rule

Example

The school's disciplinary committee established sanctions for students who cheat during final exams.

Under the new law, companies face severe financial sanctions if they violate environmental regulations.

collocation: face financial sanctions

Common collocations
  • face sanctions
  • impose sanctions on
  • financial sanctions
  • legal sanctions
  • under sanction
Synonyms
  • penalty

    more general; a penalty can be automatic (late fee), whereas a sanction implies an authority actively imposing it

  • punishment

    broader; can refer to personal or physical consequences, not just institutional ones

Antonyms
  • reward

    positive incentive rather than negative consequence

Grammar Patterns

impose a sanction on [person/organization]

face sanctions for [offence]

Usage Note

Common collocations include face sanctions, impose sanctions on, under sanction. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies to domestic law, institutions, and organizations, not international relations.

3. formal or official permission given for an action, plan, or change to proceed

3.nounC1
Definition

formal or official permission given for an action, plan, or change to proceed

Example

The board of directors gave its sanction to the merger after months of careful review.

collocation: give (one's) sanction to [something]

The treaty requires the sanction of all member states before it can take effect.

Common collocations
  • give sanction to
  • grant sanction
  • official sanction
  • with the sanction of
  • without the sanction of
Synonyms
  • approval

    less formal and broader; can be given informally or by individuals

  • authorization

    focuses on permission to act rather than agreement with the action

  • ratification

    more specific — making something officially valid after it has been agreed

Antonyms
  • veto

    official rejection or refusal to allow

Grammar Patterns

give (one's) sanction to [something]

with/without the sanction of [authority]

Usage Note

More formal than approval. Frequently used in legal, governmental, or institutional contexts. Verb counterpart is the approve sense of sanction (verb sense 1). Distinguish from noun sense 2 by looking at the object: if something is 'given sanction' (approval) vs. 'subjected to sanctions' (punishment).

Common Mistakes

My boss gave his sanction to my holiday request.
My boss approved my holiday request.
sanction in the approval sense is too formal for routine personal matters; use approve or give permission.

sanction — verb

Word family

  • sanctioned
    adjectiveC1
  • sanctioning
    nounC1
  • sanctionable
    adjectiveC2
  • unsanctioned
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to measures that limit freedom of action, but they differ in who imposes them and how. Sanctions (in the international sense) are official measures taken by governments or international bodies against a country, typically combining trade bans, asset freezes, and diplomatic restrictions. An embargo is a specific type of sanction that bans trade in certain goods (e.g., an arms embargo or oil embargo) — narrower than sanctions, which can include financial and diplomatic measures too. A boycott is a voluntary refusal to deal with a person, company, or country, often started by consumers or activists rather than governments; it has no legal force unless adopted into law. Restrictions is the broadest term — any rule that limits what people can do, from visa restrictions to speed limits. For example: 'The UN imposed sanctions on the regime and several countries joined an oil embargo, while activists called for a consumer boycott of its products.'

sanctions (trade restrictions)embargoboycott ↗restrictions

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sanctions regime
  • sanctions package
  • sanctions relief
  • sanctions violation

Adverbs

Phrases

  • to impose sanctions on
  • to lift sanctions against
  • to face sanctions for
  • to give sanction to
  • under sanction
  • with the sanction of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin sanctio (a decree, ordinance, or binding law), derived from sanctus (holy, sacred). In Roman law, a law's sanctio was both its ratifying clause and the penalty attached to its violation — the word therefore carried both positive and negative meanings from the start. It entered English through Anglo-French in the 1400s, and the two opposing senses (approval and punishment) have coexisted ever since, making sanction one of the best-known examples of a contranym (a word with opposite meanings).